FateStay Night: Across Time
by FSNdeluxe
Summary: The 4th Holy Grail War has ended. Emiya Kiritsugu had chosen to destroy the Grail which caused the destruction of a large part of the city. However, strange anomalies appear throughout the city. When Emiya Shirou comes into contact with one of these anomalies, it would change his life and possibly even history.
1. Prologue

**Fate/stay Night: Across Time**

Prologue

_10 years ago_

The 4th Holy Grail War had ended and Fuyuki city was slowly recovering from the destruction caused by the inferno 2 months ago.

The Holy Grail was destroyed at the end of the 4th Holy Grail War. The Einzbern Master, a Magus named Emiya Kiritsugu, won the war and obtained the Grail. However, he had for some reason chosen to destroy it. The result was the huge inferno that destroyed a large area of Fuyuki city. The master went missing in the aftermath and the Association and the church rushed in to cover up any loose ends. That is when they discovered the anomalies.

In a small alley near Mount Miyama, the shopping district, stood two men observing something what seemed to be a black fog with silver streaks running through it.

"That is the fifth one in two months. This is starting to get on my nerves! These things just keep appearing." The first man grumbled.

"Just be quiet or do you want to attract unwanted attention? Help me set up the boundary field before someone sees it instead of complaining." The other replied calmly.

These two men were not ordinary humans, but magi from the Magus Association. Not long after the destruction of the Grail, these strange anomalies started to appear throughout the city. Fortunately, because the Magus Association and the Holy Church were present during the immediate aftermath of the catastrophe, they were able to discover these _fogs_ early on and keep them hidden from normal humans.

They soon started an investigation to discover what they were and although they had no proof for it, both parties knew that the destruction of the Holy Grail was somehow the cause of the appearance of these anomalies. It was the only possible explanation but as to why this was happening was currently a total mystery.

The two magi started their work on the boundary field. This field's purpose is to both conceal the anomaly and to prevent normal people from coming into contact with them. Any person approaching it will automatically go around it, or find another route entirely.

"Do we know what these things are, yet?" Asked the first Magus.

All they knew for now was that these things appear at random throughout the city and it's surrounding area. That there were no more then three at a time and that they exist from any where between three to eight days.

"Not yet. There is a separate team currently conducting an in depth investigation. Our task is to keep these things hidden."

"These things are luckily not difficult to find if we are close enough, but it's tiring to keep patrolling the city. They are all so goddamn random. Do you remember that one _fog_ in the sewers? That was truly a revolting experience!" He shuddered at the mere thought of it.

"Apparently not all of them are random. They found a fourth one underneath Mount Enzou. This one appears to have 'latched' on to the leyline, or something like that, and is bit more stable."

Underneath Mount Enzou, in Ten no Sakazuki, the investigation team, consisting of both members of the Holy Church and the Magus Association, were feverishly studying the strange anomaly which wasn't easy, considering the relation between the Church and the association.

"Do you think this will yield any results?" Asked a magus called Eagle-eye, a muscular, middle aged man. This Magus had a love for eagles and uses them often as familiars. He loves to watch the world from above through their eyes, hence the _self-appointed_ nickname. His favorite eagle, named Himmler, was resting on his shoulder.

"It has to if we are ever to discover what they are," said one of his colleagues.

"I want to go back outside. Himmler is getting agitated and those priests aren't fun talking to." complained Eagle-eye. "Charles, is your golem ready yet?"

"Aarg! Yes! This time he is ready." The Magus, named Charles Greywood, was exceptionally skilled in creating golems. He had suggested to send one of his creations in to the _fog_ to examine it closeup. The idea was unanimously accepted and Charles had just finished preparing a child-sized, copper golem to send into the _fog_.

"I am sending it into the _fog_ right now." The group looked on tensely as the golem approached the _fog_. When the golem came into contact with the _fog_, they witnessed it being drawn inside the _fog_, but it returned almost instantaneous much to everyone's surprise. The golem was flung towards them, forcing several members of the group to jump aside.

"What happened? Did the fog do anything to it?"

"No, I don't think it did but look." Charles pointed at something the golem was holding. The golem stood up and walked up to Charles. It handed him something what seemed to be an oak branch. The golem provided Charles with the knowledge that it was safe to pass through.

Upon this discovery, they decided to send in a small team to investigate the other side: Eagle-eye, Charles' golem and one priest. The priest was in his mid-twenties and rather tall, sporting brown hair and eyes.

The team stepped into the _fog_. At that moment they were violently sucked inside. When they reached the other side, they were literately thrown out of the _fog_.

"That was rather rough." The priest said as he brushed of dirt from his coat. When they examined their surroundings, they found themselves standing in a small clearing within a huge forest. "Where do you think we are?"

"I don't know. But I can feel that this forest is ancient. Places such as these are rare in the present day. I'll use Himmler to scout around which should help us to determine where we are." The priest nodded in agreement.

Eagle-eye released Himmler. Looking through Himmler's eyes, Eagle-eye saw how huge the forest was. Except for trees, hills, rivers and a few dirt roads, there was pretty much nobody around for miles until he spotted a small village.

Back underneath Mount Enzo the others just witnessed the team being sucked inside the fog but before they could even start to wonder if the team made it safely through, Eagle-eye, the priest and the golem returned. Less than five seconds had passed.

"Back already!?" Charles and the others were stunned by their fast return.

"What do you mean with 'Already'? We spent nearly half a day on the other side!"

"Half a day!? But you returned two, maybe three seconds later.!" Said one of the priests in bewilderment. The others nodding in confirmation.

"A couple of seconds?" The priest and Eagle-eye looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Whatever! We will figure that one out later. Now tell us! What did you find?"

"You are not gonna believe what we saw!" Replied Eagle-eye with a broad grin.

As the investigation continued, they discovered that the anomalies where portals to the past. Using familiars to observe the locals and layout of the land, they were able to discern that this was England during the 5th or 6th century.

Meddling with the past is dangerous. Even if you were to change something, hoping that it would benefit you in the present, there was no guarantee that it would bring about the desired outcome. Even worse, it could cause the exact opposite of what you wanted to achieve. That was one reason why they sought to close these portals as soon as possible. That and the fact that it only led to that one time and place, severely limiting its potential. So it was agreed upon, by both the Church and the Association, to erect a boundary field to conceal the other side and to ward of anything that could otherwise wander through unintentionally. Two supervisors, one from the church and one from the Association, would be appointed to keep watch over this side of the portal.

Both sides agreed to use the next Holy Grail War to close these portals. Luckily, the Holy Grail was almost completed at the end of the War and they predicted that the next War will take place within 10 years from now. The winner of the next war will probably be forced to give up his or her wish, so they would need to offer an appropriate compensation in return.

The next day, Eagle-eye and the priest were standing in the clearing. They were in charge of overseeing the making of the boundary field and providing security.

"Do we know who will become the supervisor?" Asked Eagle-eye.

"They are still undecided but they will soon reach a decision. By the way where is your eagle?" Replied the priest.

"I'm using him to view more of the land. It is quite beautiful. The grassy plains shine golden in the midday sun. Simply beautiful."

Another priest came through the portal and walked up to them.

"Kotomine Kirei, would you follow me, please. There is something we want to discuss with you."

"Looks like my presence is required elsewhere. I'll leave things here in your care then." Eagle-eye simply nodded and continued to view the landscape through Himmler's eyes.

As he was flying over the grass-planes he spotted a procession. Judging from their appearance they were knights along with their entourage.

Among the procession were an old knight with his son and squire. The time had come for a new king to be chosen and they were heading towards the king's selection. The squire was wondering who would become the new king. Deep in thought the blond haired squire looked up in the sky. It was a beautiful day with clear, blue skies.

Suddenly the squire noticed the bird flying overhead. Was it a hawk. No, it is too big to be a hawk. An eagle? Watching the bird, the squire slowed his horse's pace.

"What are you looking at? Come on! We don't want to be late for the king's selection." The old knight called out to the squire.

"I am sorry, sir Ector. I was just admiring that eagle." The squire replied, pointing toward the eagle.

"Yes. A magnificent bird indeed." He said in admiration. "But there is no time to dawdle. They will not wait for us, so pick up the pace, Altria."

"Ay, sir."


	2. Chapter 1

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 1: A foreign place

It's the night of the fifth of October. In the Shinto district, a young girl clad in red walks toward the Hyatt Hotel with her long black hair waving in the wind. Her name is Tohsaka Rin, Magus and successor to the Tohsaka's magecraft.

"It's all the way up there," she sighed.

When her mother died, she became the official head of the family and responsible for Fuyuki city. Normally her duties would only consist of keeping an eye on any Magus who was permitted to run a workshop in Fuyuki. And if they broke the rules, she would exact punishment on them.

Luckily, there are no other Magi in the city besides the Matou family. They had immigrated to Japan centuries ago, but they did not manage to adapt to the land and thus their lineage as Magi came to an end. As a result she only had to worry about Magi who were planning on settling within the city.

At least, that is how it should be normally. The city has largely recovered from the disaster ten years ago, even though some scars still remain. However, another problem still remains. The destruction of the Grail had also created portals which connected present day Fuyuki city to 6th century England. The Church and the Association had conducted an in dept investigation of these portals and kept them hidden from public ever since they appeared.

There are no more then four portals at any given time. The biggest one, known simply as the main portal, is located underneath Mount Enzou inside Ten no Sakazuki. This one always appears at the same location. They theorize that it has connected itself to the leyline, and is therefore the largest and most stable.

This side of the main portal is well hidden underneath the mountain and the other side, in 6th century England, has been blocked of by a boundary field. The other three portals are more annoying, tough. They appear at random throughout Fuyuki city and its immediate vicinity. The Association dealt with covering them up until Rin was old enough to do it herself. They gave her a small, red notebook which contains everything they knew about them.

The investigation conducted by the Church and the Association had yielded quite some information about the three smaller portals. Firstly, they are basically side-entrances of the main portal. Secondly, they can appear anywhere and remain active from two minutes up to eight days. And they appear in intervals ranging from seven days up to three months. These are the most important findings pertaining the three smaller portals.

This time, a portal has appeared on the roof of Hyatt hotel. Rin was staring at the black and silver fog.

"Let's get this over with," she started making the boundary field.

"Just four more months. When the Holy Grail War ends we'll hopefully see the end of these damned portals."

"Still who would have thought that such a thing would occur? Even with that much power, this is nothing short of a fluke. -Sigh-" Tohsaka finished the barrier. "Using the Grail to close these things. What a hassle. Then again, the Church and the association would owe an incredible debt to whoever won the War."

At any rate, they have been lucky these past ten years as the portals remained undiscovered on both sides.

It was six in the morning when Emiya Shirou woke up inside the shed.

"Good morning." Said Shirou to nobody in particular as stretched himself.

"Hmmm. Sakura isn't here yet? That is rare. Whatever. I'll start making breakfast before she arrives." He scratched his auburn colored hair.

Shirou stood up and made his way to the living room. Sakura was indeed not here yet.

So after changing in his light-brown school uniform, Shirou started making breakfast. He went to the fridge and took enough ingredients for three people. With the ingredients he had on hand, he decided to make a simple traditional Japanese breakfast. He started preparing some miso soup first.

The doorbell rang and he heard somebody entering.

"I'm coming in." It was Sakura. Sakura Matou is Shirou's underclassman and the sister of his friend Matou Shinji. She lives with her brother in the foreigners' houses district of Miyama Town.

"Good morning, Senpai. Oh, you're already making breakfast." Sakura noticed as she entered the living room with a bag of groceries. "Please, wait a moment. I'll help you." She brushed some of her long, purple hair out of her face.

"It's alright. I'm almost done, but you could start setting the table, if you want."

"Ah … Alright, senpai." Said Sakura with a smile. Little more over a year ago Shirou received an injury on his right shoulder. It was around that time that Sakura started coming over to his home to help with the household. A couple of minutes later they were enjoying breakfast when the door to the hallway flew open.

"Good morning! I'm starving, what do we have for breakfast?" Fujimura yelled. Fujimura is noted for wearing black and yellow striped clothing, today she favored a striped blouse and blue jeans.

"How are you feeling, Sakura-chan?" Taiga asked.

"Ah... Everything is fine, Fujimura-sensei." Sakura handed her a bowl of rice.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan." Taiga took a bit from of rice along with some meat. "Hmmmmm! This is delicious. Well done sakura."

"Oh... Actually, it was senpai who made it." Sakura said bashfully. "He was a bit earlier today."

"Ah, I see. Good cooking as always, shirou." Fujimura laughed as she quickly worked down her food.

"You shouldn't eat so fast, Fuji-Nee. Slow down a bit." Shirou urged her.

"Sorry. That is not possible" Fujimura grinned. "I still have to grade some homework and there is the Archery training as well."

"Alright, I understand."

"Ohh, it's almost seven o'clock. Come on, Sakura-chan, or we'll be late for morning practice."

"Alright, Fujimura-sensei." Sakura stood up and made her way to the hallway. "See you later, Senpai."

"Okay, see you later. And remember, I will be returning late tonight."

"Yes, Senpai. I shall leave something to eat for you."

"That would be helpful. Thank you, Sakura."

"And Shirou, my grandfather asked if you could pay him a visit. His bike is acting up a little. So he would like you to take a look at it sometime this week, Okay? And don't be late. See you later!" Fujimura jelled before closing the door.

"Raiga-san's bike? That will be something for this Sunday or so." Shirou murmured before he returned to the kitchen. He heard the front door open and close, signaling that they had left.

Shirou left the house after doing the dishes and made his way to school.

When he arrived at school he was greeted by Ryuudou Issei, the student counsel president and Shirou's classmate.

"Good morning, Shirou. How are you this morning. Everything going well?"

"Just fine, Issei." Shirou replied casually. "And how about you? How are things at the temple?"

Issei is the successor of the Ryuudou Temple and Shirou's friend for two years now. As the student council president, he also asks Shirou to fix broken school equipment on a regular basis to save money on the school's bill.

"Nothing noteworthy. All is peaceful and good." Issei replied with a solemn expression while he adjusted his glasses. "By the way, there is some equipment that broke down again. Could you have a look at it? It is too much to do all of it now, so ..."

"Sorry, but I have to work at my part-time job. It was arranged two weeks ago and I'll probably return home late tonight too. But I could take a look at one or two."

"Hmm. I understand. We have a little more than an hour before classes start. Enough for one or two repairs, so go and get your tools. Our first stop is the multi-media room."

During the next hour Shirou repaired a projector in the multi-media room and a stove from the art club. When it was almost time for class, they walked swiftly to their classroom, but then they encountered Tohsaka Rin in the hallway. She was regarded as the schools number one idol and was admired by every boy in school. And that includes Emiya Shirou. She was really beautiful, with her long black hair and blue eyes.

"Gah! Tohsaka!" Issei's mood plummeted.

"Good morning, Ryuudou-kun." Tohsaka greeted him casually while brushing through her hair. "Hmmm. Who's your friend here again? I believe his name was Emiya-kun, right?"

"Emiya Shirou, one of Issei's classmates. How are you doing Tohsaka-san?"

"Good, thanks for asking, Emiya-kun. So you're Ryuudou-kun's classmate? I see. So how are you today, Issei?"

"I'm fine, Tohsaka. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be late for homeroom." Issei shot her an annoyed glare. "Come on, Shirou. Let's get to class before we catch some of Tohsaka's evil." Tohsaka looked on calmly as they walked passed her.

"Hey, Issei. That was rather rude!"

"Perhaps, but is for the better. I won't let her work her evil on you." Before they entered class, Shirou noticed something lying on the floor. It looked like a red notebook.

"Issei, you can go inside already. I'll be right there."

"Okay, but hurry up."

Shirou went and picked up the notebook. Upon closer examining the notebook, he saw Tohsaka's name written on it. Shirou looked down the hallway, but he couldn't see Tohsaka anywhere. She's probably already in class.

"I'll return it to her, the next time I see her." He murmured and went to class.

The day went by quickly. After classes ended, Shirou departed for his part-time job.

At the school gates he saw Issei talking with Ayako Mitsuzuri. She greeted him as he approached the gate.

"Hey, Shirou. Off to your part-time job?" Mitsuzuri was in a cheerfully mood today. She is a second year student and the captain of the archery club. Sporting short, brown hair and brown eyes. Thought of mostly as mannish by others, she is also very responsible and dependable. And quite pleasant to look at too.

Before Shirou injured his right shoulder, he was briefly a member of the archery club. And he was good at it too, as he had missed the target only once. Mitsuzuri made it her goal to surpass Shirou before she graduates. "If you have time tomorrow, our heater has been showing malfunctions. Could you ..."

"Of course. Don't worry about it. I will take a look at it when I have some time to spare."

"Thanks. You're really dependable when it comes to fixing things." Mitsuzuri nodded approvingly. "But I must say, Shirou. You really should ask for a reward from time to time. You always seem to help people, but you never ask for anything in return. Some people will take advantage of that if you're not careful."

"Nah, It's alright. Helping people with their problems is its own reward." Mitsuzuri's gave him a concerned smile in response.

"She's right, Shirou. I've told you the same thing numerous times already. It's good to be a little selfish." Issei nodded firmly. "To be honest, your lack of selfishness is concerning."

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm alright with it." Shirou looked at his watch.

"Dammit, I'm gonna be late. Sorry guys. I'll have to leave now or I'll be late. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." Issei and Mitsuzuri replied in unison as they saw Shirou off.

It was ten thirty PM when Shirou returned home. Thankfully, Sakura had left some food for him. Shirou put down his schoolbag and began eating his supper.

_Hmmm? Haven't I forgotten something?'_ Shirou thought while eating. Then he remembered. '_Ahhh. That's right. I forgot to return Tohsaka's notebook._

Shirou took the notebook out of his schoolbag and looked at it. "Guess I'll return it tomorrow then," he put the notebook in his back-pocket.

"Thank you for the meal, Sakura." Said Shirou after finishing his meal. "Now it is time for my daily routine." Shirou made his way to the shed.

Nobody knows this, because Shirou had done his best to keep it a secret. Emiya Shirou is a Magus. When he was adopted by Emiya Kiritsugu, Kiritsugu had told him that he was a Magus, a being that can use magic. Although Kiritsugu had no intentions of teaching Shirou magecraft at first, he gave in after being persistently asked by Shirou for two years.

Shirou began with creating a magic circuit in his body.

"Trace on." Shirou murmured. A spell Shirou has thought himself for over eight years.

A Magus is born with a pathway called the magic circuit inside their body for magical energy to pass through. As Shirou wasn't born a Magus, he is forced to make one from scratch inside him every time. It feels like a hot metal rod being driven into his spine. Aside from the pain, it is also very dangerous. The tiniest error and he would end up killing himself. Yes, a Magus has death always right beside him.

Shirou is well aware of that. However, he wanted to be like Kiritsugu. Thus he has continued to train his magic for eight years. And he isn't planning to stop now. The magic Shirou is trying to perform is called 'strengthening'. The only magic he knows.

It took him a little more then an hour to make the circuit. He inhaled and proceeded with his training.

"Basic structure, analyze. - Composition, analyze." His body is hot.

"Basic structure, alter. -Composition, reinforce." Shirou felt tense as he let magical energy flow into the rod.

"Gahhh!" Shirou gasped and his body cooled down. After fighting off the daze, he examined the metal rod. Strengthening reinforces an objects abilities by understanding its structure and channeling magical energy into it. He normally fails but this time he was partially successful.

"Better than usual." Shirou sighed and he laid himself on the floor to rest for a moment.

A bat was flying over the Emiya residence. But this is no normal bat, but a familiar. Familiars are usually small animals used by Magi to serve as their eyes and ears or as their messengers.

This one belonged to Tohsaka Rin. Rin uses several of them to scour the city for portals.

It just saw one appear behind what seemed to be a private dojo.

Rin was at the intersection when her familiar spotted the portal.

"This one is near. But, … Oh,no." Through the eyes of her familiar she saw the light coming from the shed. If somebody was in there, he/she would see the portal immediately, should they step outside the shed.

"I've got to hurry!" And Rin bursts in to a run and activated her magic circuits.

"Es ist groß, es ist klein!" A spell used to enhance her legs which increased her speed tremendously.

"Hmmm. Somethings odd." Shirou sensed a change in the air. "It's coming from outside."

Shirou went out into the courtyard. There he saw the source of the change. Behind the dojo, there was a black fog with silver streaks in it. It was roughly the size of a double door.

"What is it?" Shirou started to approached it.

'**Stay away from it. Don't get closer!**'

His instincts were warning him, but his curiosity was winning.

He was standing in front of it. His arm stretched out, only centimeters away from it.

**'Don't touch it!'** Every part of his being screamed.

Rin arrived at the house, winded. She noticed when she got there, that the house was surrounded by a boundary field. There was another Magus in the city? Luckily this field was only meant to warn the residents of intruders with harmful intentions.

"There was another Magus in this City? Who …?" She broke off mid-sentence when her familiar saw someone exiting the shed and walking toward the portal. It was Issei's friend, Emiya Shirou. He was a Magus? _No, time to think about that. I need to stop him._

Shirou was almost touching it, when …

"Get away from it!" A girl yelled from behind him.

Shirou startled so hard that he tripped when he turned around.

He only saw the face of the one who shouted at him for a second, when he was suddenly pulled into what seemed a black and silver vortex.

It was a scary to say the least. The experience seemed to last for an eternity, while it only lasted a few seconds, before he was thrown out violently. It took Shirou a while before he recovered from the wild trip. When he got back to his feet, he found himself in a small clearing within a dense forest.

"Where am I? That fog!" And he turned around, just to see it disappear.

"Guess I won't be going back that way." Shirou sighed. By the way, was that Tohsaka who tried to warn him? He could have sworn it was Tohsaka. No, now is not the time to think about such things. First, he needed to figure out where he was.

"I'm definitely not in Japan anymore." Shirou examined his surroundings. The oaks of this forest were definitely not the Japanese variant. And more over, it was spring here, while it is autumn in Japan right now.

"I'll take look around. Maybe I can find some help."

He thought about waiting for the portal to reappear. But he got the sad feeling that it won't be returning anytime soon. So he started walking into the forest. He picked up a rock with sharp edges and used it to make markings on trees, so he could find the way back later.

Hours past and Shirou was beginning to tire. He had walked for miles now and still hadn't encountered anybody. It was getting dark too. Shirou found an overhanging rock and decided to use it as a shelter for the night.

"I guess this will do for tonight. There is even a small creek nearby."

Shirou collected some firewood and managed to make a fire with some effort. He drank some water from the creek and sat himself near the fire.

"I hope I can find some help tomorrow." He took Tohsaka's notebook from his back-pocket and opened it. "That's odd. It has Tohsaka's name on it, but it's clearly written by a man."

Suddenly the words 'Holy Grail War' caught his eye. His father had told him about it 6 years ago. The Holy Grail War with the seven masters and their servants. According to Kiritsugu, the War ten years ago ended when the Grail was destroyed, which in turn had led to the inferno that destroyed a big part of the city. His father spoke about it with great pain as if he was blaming himself for the catastrophe.

The more he read, the more his disbelief grew. Apparently the fog that brought him here was a portal that connected present day Fuyuki City with 6th century England. There are never then more four portals in Fuyuki at any given time. One main portal and 3 smaller ones. They all opened and closed at random intervals. The most disturbing thing he learned about them was the fact that they could remain closed for anywhere between a week and 3 months, which was rather troublesome news for Shirou. The portal on this side followed a similar pattern, but had only one side portal.

The smaller portals were like side-entrances to the main portal. They would bring anybody to the exit of the main portal or one of it's side portals. If no portals were active, a temporary crack would be made when you exit, similar like a partially opened door.

"I'm in England? The 6th century?" Shirou sighed. "Oh man. Whether it's true or not, I need to find help if I want to get home. Perhaps I can find somebody tomorrow."

Shirou was tired. He lied down and went to sleep, wondering if he could survive long enough in this foreign place, long enough to return home.


	3. Chapter 2

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 2: Gawain

A sword. A golden sword, beautifully crafted. Shirou had seen it in his dreams so many times. He found the sword magnificent, but he sometimes wondered why it always came back in his dreams.

Shirou awoke when he heard voices and the marching of men could be heard in the morning, there was no mistaking it. There were people here.

"There are people here after all." Shirou felt relieved. "I hope that they'll be able to help me."

He made his way in the direction of the voices. When he saw the group, doubt set in. These people didn't wear modern clothing. They were clad in old, leather armor with tunics made from crude cloth underneath. A couple were wearing chain mail and all of them were armed.

"I don't think I should let them see me." Shirou murmured as hid him self.

He carefully peeked at the group without revealing himself. There were roughly a dozen of them. Armed mainly with spiked clubs, rusty knives, axes and leather shields. He also counted two rusty long-swords and a large battle axe. In addition, half of them were carrying bows, one of them a crossbow.

The one with the battle axe was an older man, with streaks of gray through his brown hair and beard. He wasn't the tallest, but he sure had the biggest muscles of the group. In addition to chain-mail, he also had steel arm braces and a breastplate. He had an air of experience and leadership over him. Suddenly the man stopped and looked back. Shirou managed to duck just in time.

"Something amiss?" Asked the young man wielding the crossbow to the leader.

"Methinks I saw someone. Guess I imagined it." The leader said scratching his head.

"We must make haste, if we ought to be in time for the ambush. Get yer arse moving, lass."

Shirou decided to follow them when he heard him say 'ambush'. Shirou was poor at English but ambush was a word he knew. After a while they reached a dirt road. The group split in to two and they positioned themselves on either side of the road. Shirou hid inside some bushes.

_They are definitely bandits, or something like that. I'll just stay out of sight for now. All I can do now is warn their victims before the trap is sprung._

"Are ye sure that they will come past here?" One of the bandits asked to the leader.

"Ay, I am sure. Me spy is reliable. There should be two wagons with goods and around eight guards for escort." The leader grinned confidently. "Since we have the element of surprise, we should be able to kill the majority with our bows before they can even react. Beves, are ye and yer archers ready?"

"Aye, boss Giraud. They will feel the sting of our arrows. We will teach them just how good bandits can aim." Beves grinned as he brandished his crossbow. Beves was the youngest of the group at 17 years. He had short, brown unkempt hair and light-blue eyes. He was rather sinewy, but he was in good shape. His face was rather plain, but not unattractive.

One of the bandits' scouts returned and warned them about the approaching convoy.

"We have trouble. There is a knight traveling with the convoy and he looks strong."

"What. Nobody said anything about no knight. This was not part of the plan, Boss." A tall, skinny looking bandit said panicking. His green, bloodshot eyes darting around nervously. "This changes everything. We'll lose a lot of men fighting him."

"Shut yer trap, Lewis. We will just take him out first. Beves!"

"Leave it to me boss." He knocked a bolt on his crossbow. "This bolt is coated with yew poison. Even if he is not killed instantly, the poison will bring about his downfall. Hehehehe."

Meanwhile:

"How long until we reach Camelot?" A young woman asked. She had long, flowing blond hair, beautiful green eyes and fair lightly-tanned skin. The woman just turned twenty last month.

"It will take at least 3 more days of travel. If the weather holds that is." Her father answered. He was a older man with graying, black hair and dull brown eyes.

"Hmmm. Do ye think we'll see something exciting along the way." The woman's green eyes sparkled hopeful.

"If something happens, I hope it's nothing dangerous."

"Don't ye worry, dad. We have a knight protecting us." The girl smiled to the knight ridding besides the wagon. He was an older, but still young looking man with curly, dark-blond hair and aqua eyes, clad in shining white armor decorated with a flower design. "I thank ye, sir knight, for protecting us on our journey."

"No thanks needed, fair maiden. It is a knight's privilege to protect the innocent. And Camelot also happens to be my destination." The blond knight answered smiling. "Your daughter sure is a fine woman, mister Rauf. Surely you must be proud of her."

"Well indeed, sir Knight. Elisa has grown to be a fine woman and she is also a gifted healer and a fine cook, I dare say." Rauf said proudly, causing his daughter to blush.

"Cooking is indeed important. They do say a man's love goes through his stomach. When it comes to food, it is quantity and not quality that matters to me. Large amounts of vegetables, vinegar, potatoes and meat. That and ale. The King and my fellow knights eat it all without complaints." The knight declared jovial.

"May I ask ye something, sir Knight?" Elisa looked at the knight with curiosity.

"Certainly, milady. What is on your mind?"

"I've never seen the king before. Can you tell me what he's like?"

"Ahhh, the king." The knight's voice was full of admiration. "He is truly chivalry incarnate. He is the most fearless, diligent, just and fairest king in the world. England is truly blessed with king Arthur."

"I hear he is very young. Is that true, sir knight?"

"Young, yes. But he is not that young, although many a man who see him for the first time would mistake him as such. When he pulled the sword from the stone, he stopped aging. Thus he looks like a beautiful young boy, but the king is already in his twenties."

"That's incredible! Oh my ... I just realized. I never heard ye name, sir knight."

"Ah … Of course! How rude of me. My name is Gawain, the White Knight of the round table." He made a slight bow. "At your service."

But one moment later, Gawain suddenly felt a killing intend directed at him and subsequently drew his sword. "Halt!"

The convoy stopped. The guards drew their swords and moved into a defensive position.

"Sir Gawain? What is wrong?"

Then from the bushes flew a crossbow bolt, hitting the ground in front of Gawain's horse.

A voice shouted: "**Ambush!**"

Giraud became tense when the knight ordered the convoy to halt. This was bad! The knight had felt of their presence. Beves aimed for the knight's chest when he suddenly got hit on his back by a stone. The bolt landed in front of the knight's horse and from behind them someone shouted: "Ambush!"

Giraud cursed. His men had fired immediately after Beves missed his shot, but the guards had managed to block most of the arrows. Their position was revealed and now both sides were charging at each other. Giraud saw two of his men been cut down by the knight like nothing. He looked behind him, to the strange boy who ruined the ambush.

"Lewis, go skewer that brat! I will face the knight." Lewis charged at the boy. Beves had recovered from the impact and was trying to find a new vantage point. Giraud ran in front of the knight.

"I will be yer opponent, knight." Giraud beat his chest as he rushed in front of the knight. His men were already locked in combat with the guards. But now that the ambush had failed, chances are good that they'll be pushed back soon.

"You sure are brave to face a knight of the round table. Brave indeed. I grant you my respect for that, bandit." The knight smiled as he dismounted and moved in to attack. He attacked with a series of well executed strikes and trusts. But Giraud was a veteran and managed to hold his ground against the knight's onslaught. No, not onslaught. The knight was not even considering to use his full strength.

"You are skilled as well. If you had chosen to serve the king, you could have become known as a warrior of renown. A pity you choose a life of crime. Time pay for it." The knight continued his attack with more intensity. Giraud had to give it his all.

Shirou managed to foil the ambush, but now he had a bandit clad in chain-mail and wielding a sword barreling down on him. He picked up a branch and held it like a sword.

The bandit was almost on him now.

"Hahaha! Yer gonna fight with that!? Yer dead, lass!" Shirou wasn't good at English, but it was pretty obvious what the man said.

Shirou knew a simple branch wouldn't do much against a sword, so it was now or never.

"Trace on." The rod was driven in his spine. He raced through the process.

"Basic structure, composition, analyze.- Basic structure, alter. Composition, reinforce."

He channeled his magical energy into the branch. The bandit had reached him and swung his sword at Shirou and he managed to blocked the sword with the branch.

"What?" The bandit jumped back a little. His eyes were full of confusion. Even if his sword was old, it should have still been good enough to cut through that branch. Instead it was repelled by it. Shirou smiled in momentary relief. His strengthening had succeeded. Unfortunately, the relief was short lived.

The bandit started a flurry of attacks, while Shirou desperately tried to block them. The bandit had some skill with the blade. Shirou tried to fall back, using the trees as barriers. He would not last long otherwise. Suddenly Shirou lost his footing and fell on his back. The bandit was on him in an instant.

"Say ye prayers, lass." He raised his sword for the fatal blow.

_'This is it!'_ Oddly enough Shirou felt surprisingly calm, as the blade descents.

Gawain was impressed. This man, while he was a bandit, had great skills with the battle axe. But now was the time to end the fight. The bandit launched a sweeping strike with the last of his strength. Gawain remained calm and parried the blow and followed up with a riposte. His sword cut through the bandit's armor like it wasn't there and made a deep cut in the man's flesh. The bandit staggered backwards and dropped on his knee, panting.

"You fought well, but now it ends." Gawain was still smiling as he approached to deal the finishing blow. But then Gawain saw another bandit between the trees attacking a strangely clothed, young man. The lad was defending himself with only a branch, while trying to keep his distance from the bandit. He must be the one that foiled the ambush and basically saved their lives. As a knight he could not let him die.

"It seems that luck is with you, bandit." Gawain he ran to the boys aid. Behind him, he heard the bandit sound the retreat.

The bandit's sword came down, but Gawain blocked the blow in the knick of time and promptly pushed the bandit back. The bandit took a defensive stance and looked at the knight fearfully.

"Are you alright, young man?" The boy looked at him and nodded. Gawain directed his attention back to the bandit. "I will be your opponent."

The bandit was trembling. There was no way that he could win against a knight, so he immediately turned tail and followed his retreating comrades. Gawain didn't pursue them. There was no need to. He sheeted his sword and turned to face the boy.

"I thank you, lad. If not for thy warning, we would probably be dead now." Gawain helped the boy up. While Gawain was shaking his hand in gratitude, he examined the young man with curiosity. He had never seen a someone like him before. His complexion told him the boy was definitely not from these lands. "Hmmm. I hast never seen clothes like that before and thou art certainly not English. Nor art thou Saksen, Frankish or Germanic. Who art thou? Where art thou from?"

The boy's eyes suddenly widened and he jumped forward, pushing him aside.

"Ah-boo-nigh!" He yelled, when he was struck by a crossbow bolt in his left shoulder.

The boy stumbled and fell to his knees. Gawain turned around, but the young crossbowman had already disappeared into the forest.

"Coward!" Gawain yelled angry and he turned his attention to the boy. "This is the second time you saved me. Let me ..." The boy started to convulse suddenly and fell forward. Gawain caught the boy before he hit the ground.

"Poison." Gawain swore under his breath. He lifted the boy up and carried him to the wagons.

"Dad. 'Tis sir Gawain. He is carrying someone." Rauf immediately sprang from his wagon and ran toward him.

"Sir Gawain. Are ye alright? Who is the boy?" Gawain hurried towards Elisa, causing Rauf to jump aside.

"He is the one who foiled the ambush, that is all I know. The bolt is poisoned. Can you help him, milady?"

"Put him inside the wagon. I will see what I can do." Elisa hurried to grab her medicines. The boy had lost consciousness, so time was of the essence. Gawain put him in the wagon and helped Elisa to remove the bolt and clean the wound. Elisa determined that it was poison from the yew tree and quickly managed to make an antidote.

"I have administered the antidote, so his life is not in danger. But he will not regain consciousness for some time." Elisa sighed with relief. "We should find him a place to sleep for the night. A comfortable bed would surely help him recover."

"There is an inn called the 'meek ox' at the next village. We can reach it before nightfall." Rauf suggested.

"Good, let us make haste then. Alright men. Put our dead in the other wagon. We can give them a proper burial at the village. Bury the bandits next to the road."

"Why should we bother burying them? Just leave them for the wolves, I say." One of the guards complained. The others nodded in agreement.

"Bandits or not, it is simple decency to bury the dead." Gawain retorted.

"Tsst. Fine have it yer way." The guards took some shovels from the carts and started digging the graves. It took them a couple of hours before they continued their journey.

"I hope they have enough room for all of us." Elisa wiped away some sweet from the young man's forehead. "By the way, I found these on him. Maybe thou should hold on to him until he recovers, sir Gawain."

She handed him what seemed to be a keyring and a small red book.

"I will do that. It might be important to him." And he put them in his saddlebag.

"Who do ye think he is, sir Gawain? I hast never seen clothing like his before. His clothes are certainly not made from wool or linen. And I have never seen such strange shoes before. And than his appearance.. certainly not English." Elisa looked at the young man inquisitively.

"I doth not know. But regardless, the boy saved our lives today. So he has more than deserved our aid." Gawain declared. Everybody agreed unanimously. Some time later they arrived at the inn.

The 'meek ox' had enough rooms to spare. However Gawain offered to pay for the lodgings, but didn't have enough money to afford separate rooms and meals for everybody. Thus while the boy and Elisa both got separate rooms, Gawain, Rauf and the guards shared the same room.

"I am sorry thou have to share the room with us, sir Gawain."

"No need to apologize, mister Rauf. It is not the first time I hast shared quarters with others. I hope the lads condition will be improved by tomorrow."

"I hope so too. He saved our lives after all. We only lost two men against eight of the bandits. If he had not warned us..." Rauf shuddered at the thought. "Anyway, I bid ye good night, Sir Gawain." And Rauf went to sleep.

Gawain yawned and took the keyring and book from his saddlebag. He had never seen key's like this before. Most of then were thin and serrated. All except for one rusty, old key. That one looked like the key's he was familiar with. He put the keys back in his bag and then took the book, hoping it might yield a clue to the boys identity., but it only raised more questions. The pages were white and smooth to the touch, nothing like parchment at all. And then there were those strange symbols written inside.

"What are these symbols? Some kind of code? Magic runes maybe? Or an unknown language." Gawain marveled at the book. "Guess it yielded more questions then answers. Maybe Merlin can help when we reach Camelot. Guess we shall find out eventually." He put away the book and went to sleep.

The next morning, Gawain woke up when somebody knocked on the door. He went to the door and opened it. There stood the innkeeper, a balding, chubby, middle-aged man. He went by the name of Tebald and was well respected by the locals.

"Good morning, sir Knight. I apologize for waking ye, but I wanted to inform ye that the boy has awoken."

"Ahh, he did? That is good. Bring him some food and something to drink. The lad might be hungry." Gawain was elated at the news. "Tell him I will meet him shortly."

"Certainly, sir Gawain. At once." The innkeeper hurried off to his duties.

Gawain started putting on his clothes. They consisted of black, linen tunic embroiled with a golden sun with matching trousers and leather boots. Gawain suddenly noticed that Rauf was awake. "The boy is awake."

"I heard. Are ye going to see the lad?"

"Yes. I will eat something later. Seeyou at breakfast." Gawain buckled his sword to his belt and closed the door behind him. He went up the stairs to the second floor, where he encountered Elisa in the hallway. She was carrying some bloody bandages. "Is see you have changed his bandages, milady Elisa."

"Indeed, sir Gawain. The boy is on his way to recovery, but …" Elisa looked over her shoulder to the door were the boy was resting.

"But? Is there something wrong?" Gawain tensed up. "If there is something wrong … you must tell me!"

"Not necessarily wrong, but there is something troubling about it." Elisa said with a discomforting tone.

"Something troubling? What do you mean?"

"His wounds! They are healing to quickly. 'tis not normal. At this rate his wound will be completely healed within three, maybe four days. 'tis unsettling." Elisa rubbed her arm nervously.

"Hmmm. That is odd, but not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe Merlin can have a look at him when we arrive at Camelot. Why don't you go downstairs to grab some breakfast. It will do you good. I will go and have a chat with our savior."

Elisa nodded and went downstairs. Gawain arrived at the boy's chamber when the innkeeper left the room with an empty bowl.

"Mister Tebald. How is he doing?"

"Good, I would say. He was quite hungry." Tebald showed him the bowl. "I also tried to talk to him, but he does not seem to speak our tongue, except for a few words, but most of the time he seems to get the gist of it."

"That is good to know."

"Excuse me, sir knight, but may I ask ye something?" Gawain gave a nod. "Who is this lad. I have never seen someone with such a complexion."

"I don't know, good sir. But he saved our lives by foiling the bandits' ambush. So the least I can do, is help him in return. It is only natural to do so." Gawain gave a serene smiled.

"True enough. Those rotten bandits are getting more bold. But why?" Tebald wondered bitting his nails nervously.

"It is indeed a mystery. The king has already started to investigate as to why the bandits are so active. That is why I am on my way to Camelot." Gawain tapped his fingers on his sword handle, his face turning grim for a moment "But now I will go see the boy. So, if you would excuse me."

"Sure. I will have some food waiting for ye." Tebald nodded and went downstairs. Gawain walked to the door and entered the room. The young man was sitting upright on the bed with his chest was exposed, except for his bandaged left shoulder. Gawain examined the young man. He had auburn colored hair and Golden-brown eyes and had above average physique. Gawain estimated his age to be around seventeen winters, a young man. Gawain took a stool and sat down facing the young man.

"Good morning. I hope you have managed to sleep well. How are you feeling, young man?" Gawain asked with a friendly voice. The young man looked at him with a puzzled expression. He thought for a moment, trying to figure out what Gawain said, before he nodded with a smile.

"It seems Tebald was right. you really don't fully understand our language. My name is Gawain and I am a knight of the round table. I ask you: What is your name?"

"Gawain." An expression of both recognition and surprise showed on the lad's face when Gawain told him his name. Once the surprise wore off the boy snapped back to attention.

"Name? My name … is… Emiya Shirou."

"But you can grasp the general idea of the things we say, most of the time. That's good. At least that we can understand each other somewhat." Gawain nodded firmly. "Emiya Shirou, is it? Can you tell me where you hail from?"

"Hmmm. What country?" Gawain tried, when he saw the boy's puzzled expression. Shirou's confusion made way for recognition.

"Japan." Gawain raised his eyebrows. He never had heard of a place called Japan before.

"Where is Japan?"

"East. Far, far east." Shirou pointed towards the rising sun but then he suddenly flinched and grabbed his shoulder.

"You have recovered quite a bit, but you should rest some more. We will stay here one more night. After that we will make our way to Camelot." Shirou's expression changed to surprise when Gawain mentioned Camelot.

"Camelot? Arthur?" Shirou's eyes went wide in amazement.

"Yes, King Arthur. You may be from a distant country, but it seems they have heard of the King's exploits even there." Gawain grinned with satisfaction at the boy's amazed expression. "You should get some more rest, as you will need your strength when we leave. I will come to visit you again at noon."

Gawain left Shirou to rest, while he went to get some breakfast. Rauf, Elisa, the other merchant and the remaining guards were already enjoying their meals.

"Sir Gawain, please sit with us. Mister Tebald says that yer food will be brought in a moment." Elisa said happily.

"That is good to hear." Gawain sat down besides Elisa, who got a slight blush on her face. "Is something wrong, milady?

"What? Oh eh, no, of course not. Say, Have ye spoken with him?"

"I did. He seems to be doing better, but he still needs to rest some more. I think it would be wise to remain here for one more night."

"I concur. That would be for the best. Let me pay for the next night." Rauf proposed."I believe ye had spent most of yer money last night, sir Gawain."

"And I will chip in too. 'tis the least I can do." The other merchant declared. He was a young man, not even 25 winters old. He had blond hair, blue eyes and a nose like a hawks beak. He answers to the name Sagard. "By the way, sir Gawain. Did ye learn anything new about our savior?"

"His name is Emiya Shirou and it appears he hails from a country, far to the east, called Japan." Gawain informed them. "The lad is still recovering from his wounds, so I didn't ask to many questions for now."

"Emiya Shirou? An odd name, never heard of such a name before. Neither have I ever heard of a place called Japan." Sagard pondered for a moment, then he shook his head as the name didn't ring a bell. "Anyway, was his tunic not ruined when he got struck by that bolt. I have some quality linen tunics he could use. Free of charge of course."

"Hooo. I never thought ye could be so generous, sir Sagard." Rauf said with a skeptical tone. "Ye always seemed so concerned about making a profit, after all."

"I do indeed. But that does not mean that I don't know gratitude." Sagard raised his voice. "The lad saved us. Giving him some new clothes doesn't even to begin to repay him." Sagard grumbled as he turned his attention back to his meal. "I will bring them later to him after I finished my meal."

"That was not a very nice thing to say, dad! Mister Sagard is concerned about money, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't care about others. Ye should apologize to him."

"Mrrrr. Maybe yer right." Rauf finished his meal and begrudgingly went to apologize to Sagard.

Gawain visited Shirou again at noon. He asked some more questions but they didn't yield much result. While Shirou could somewhat understand him, but he didn't know enough of the English tongue to give any detailed answers. Gawain figured that Merlin would be able to do something about the language problem when they reached Camelot. Somebody knocked on the door. It was Sagard, bringing the tunic.

"I have brought the tunic. From what I garner, it should be about the right size." He walked to Shirou and handed him the red colored tunic. "It is made of the finest linen I could get my hands on. Thank ye for saving us."

"Domo Arigato." Shirou said and took it with both hands and made a slight bow. Sagard blinked and looked at Gawain with an uncertain expression.

"I think it means 'Thank you' in his tongue." Gawain said unsure. Sagard nodded in response and left the room. Gawain left soon after.

The next morning, Gawain was saddling his horse while Elisa was supporting Shirou as they made their way to the wagon. Emiya Shirou seemed to be doing a lot better and the new tunic looked good on him. He noticed Rauf and Sagard walking up to him.

"Well, sir Gawain. Time to continue our journey to Camelot." Sagard said, clasping his hands together and with a hopeful expression on his face. "I hope we won't get anymore attacks along the way."

"True enough." Rauf sighed. "I don't think well be as lucky like the last time, should there be another ambush waiting for us."

"Rest assured. I don't think there will be any more ambushes taking place. This area is close to Camelot and is regularly patrolled by the king's men. They would be mad to attempt anything this close to Camelot."

"That is reassuring indeed." Sagard smiled in relief. "Do ye think that they were aware of our shipment?"

"I think they were." Gawain said without hesitation. Rauf and Sagard usually dealt only with fabric, food, drink, jewelry and spices. But this time they were transporting a large shipment of quality weapons and armor at the king's request. "They have been attacking the caravans rather frequent as of late. And they only attacked those that carried weapons, armor or valuables. That is one of the things I was sent to investigate."

"Mister Rauf, Mister Sagard. I suggest we resume our trip to Camelot. We still have two more days of travel ahead." Gawain said with a serious tone and hoisted himself in the saddle.

"A splendid suggestion." Rauf said. He and Sagard made their way to their respective wagons.

Gawain took position next to Rauf's wagon. His eyes met with Shirou's who was laying in the front of the wagon, being tended by Elisa. Gawain smiled at him reassuringly and Shirou smiled back. Gawain looked up into the clear sky. If the weather holds, they should reach Camelot within two days.

Meanwhile, Giraud and his men arrived at an old fortress ruin deep inside the ancient forest. It had been an unpleasant trip back. He lost six men during the raid, he himself was injured and two of his men died soon after because their wounds got infected. And worst of all they had to return empty handed.

"Are ye alright, boss?" Beves had been worrying about Giraud's health the entire return trip and rightly so. His boss had been silent most of the way back. Beves knew the boss was simply trying to save his breath, because of his wound. While Beves called him 'Boss', Giraud was actually more of a father to him than a boss as he had saved Beves from death seven years ago. "Once we arrive, we will go see the surgeon immediately." Giraud groaned.

Deep inside the forest lay an old fortress. The ruin had been abandoned until recently. These last few months a rebellion had started to grow and this old fortress has become one of the rebels many hideouts. The rebellion started because some of the lords and common people had gotten dissatisfied with King Arthur. The main reason was that the king didn't seem to understand his people's feelings. Giraud, a bandit, never concerned himself with it. He was still wondered how he got recruited for this cause.

Inside the fortress courtyard, the rebels were buzzy with training, maintaining weapons and equipment and doing other important tasks. Giraud often wondered why so many people hated the king. And he wondered why he cared. He was a bandit, he usually only cared for the wellbeing of his men and himself.

When they walked through the gate, the commander of the garrison walked up to them immediately. An old soldier. His hair was gray and his gray eyes were bloodshot. Here he was simply called the 'Commander'. Giraud never asked his name, but he respected the man and he respected Giraud. He knew little about the Commander, but he knew that he was once on of the king's most loyal men. Giraud knew that he didn't hate the king, so why was he here, Giraud wondered.

"Report, Giraud. I only see les than half of thy men. Obviously you have failed in your mission." The 'Commander' demanded with an impatient tone. His eyes staring sharply into Giraud's. Beves stared angry at the Commander. Couldn't this wait until later?

"Our ambush was foiled. A stranger showed up and warned the caravan when we were about to strike." Giraud calmly reported, as he bid Beves to ease up. "Our information was faulty as well. There was a knight traveling with the caravan. He killed 2 of me men and injured me." He groaned as his wound acted up.

"Hmmm. The knight was unexpected. Our spy reported that there was no knight when the caravan departed," the 'Commander' frowned. "He must have joined the caravan after they left the village. And what was that about a stranger?"

Giraud and his men gave the "Commander' a detailed description of the failed ambush, the knight and the stranger.

"From what you have told me, the knight could have been no other than sir Gawain. We know that he has been investigating the recent raids." The 'Commander' paced around. "Sir Gawain's appearance alone would have been reason enough to call of the ambush."

"No, it isn't," Beves argued."If that scoundrel hadn't thrown that rock at me, I would have most certainly hit him!" He said so with complete confidence.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but Gawain wouldn't be a knight of the Table if a simple sneak attack was all it took to take him down." The 'Commander' declared rather harshly, which put a damper on Beves' boasting. Beves was a good man and the 'Commander' felt a little sad for dampening his spirit. "I will order our spies to investigate the stranger. You men should get some rest and thou hast to see the surgeon. I will need to report this to Sir Mordred and mistress Morgan."

"Finally. Uhh, we will see ye later then." Giraud and Beves started making their way to the surgeon. Than Giraud suddenly stopped and turned toward the 'Commander'."Say, Commander. Mind if I ask ye something?"

"What is on your mind?"

"You were once a loyal soldier to the king, tasked with hunting down folks like me. But ye seemed to accept me quite easily. Why?"

"You art a bandit, a marauder, but you also care for your men and you are known to show mercy and to disdain from needless killing." The 'Commander' replied with a sincere tone. "You are different from most bandits. And it is this sense of honor what has earned you my acceptance and respect ."

Giraud smiled when he heard the 'Commanders' answer. At least one of his many questions has been answered. He looked up at the sky, rubbing his round chin, wondering where all of this will lead to.


	4. Chapter 3

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 3: King Arthur

The town is burning. Flames everywhere. The boy remembered this scene all to well. It's the day the city was engulfed in flames. His house burned down and his parents died in the fire. He was walking amongst the flames and everywhere around him people were dieing. He fell on his back. The heat was unbearable. Suddenly it began to rain and the fires died out. He'll soon die because of his burns, so it doesn't matter. He had resigned himself to his fate. Then a man appeared. His eyes were crying tears of joy. Because he was happy for himself. Amongst all this destruction he was able to save someone. The boy would live.

The king awoke. "A dream?" The king rarely had dreams, so this was a special experience. He stood up and put on his clothes and armor.

"My liege. Your breakfast has been prepared." The head servant said when the king left his chambers. He noticed the king pondering. "Is everything alright, my Liege?"

"Everything is alright. I just had a dream, that is all."

Shirou awoke from his slumber. He had dreamed of that night 10 years ago, of the inferno that destroyed his house and killed his parents. The night that he was saved by Emiya Kiritsugu. How long has it been since he had that dream?

"Are ye feeling alright?" Elisa moved into view. She had treated Shirou's wounds and nursed him back to good health, but Shirou couldn't help but sense the unease that hang over her. Not that he blames her. His wound had completely healed within 4 days without leaving so much as a scar. No matter how you looked at it, it wasn't normal. Shirou would be lying if he said that it didn't feel strange to him. He did find it to be convenient though.

"All good." Shirou smiled. Elisa returned the smile. He wasn't good at English, but he does manage to get the others to understand him. During the rest of the journey Shirou had spent most of his time resting in the wagon at Gawain's insistence. All in all, the rest of trip had been uneventful.

They eventually arrived at a large village in the afternoon. No, this could be rightfully called a town. Behind the town, on top of a small cliff formation, stood a huge castle. That must be Camelot. Shirou couldn't help but stare at it. From the corner of his eye he saw Gawain grin at his amazement. Only then he finally noticed that his mouth was hanging open. The caravan made its way toward a stone structure which was probably the village garrison. A square building with a training area surrounded by a palisade, with four shooting platforms, one on each corner. The caravan stopped in front of the gate. Gawain discussed something with guards and the merchants for some time while Shirou took some time to look at his surroundings. The people passing casted curious glares at him. Some guards who stood on a shooting platform whispered to each other as they pointed at him. A little boy approached him carefully. When Shirou noticed him, he gave the boy a smile.

The boy hurriedly returned to his mother when Gawain walked up to Shirou after concluding his business. "Please, come with me." Gawain mounted his horse and helped Shirou mount the horse behind him. Shirou looked back to the caravan where Elisa and the rest stood, waving them goodbye. He returned the gesture. It still took about ten minutes to reach the castle. Only when they arrived at the main gate could Shirou grasp the tremendous size of the castle. The gate was big enough to allow two carts to pass through side by side. And the walls were at least twenty meters tall.

"Good day to ye, sir Gawain" One of the gatekeepers greeted them as they rode past the watch house. "Who is yer traveling companion?"

"He is a foreigner and I want to introduce him to the king. This young man saved my life, that he did. I was traveling back with a caravan carrying weapons and armor for the king's men when we wast ambushed by bandits. But this young man foiled the ambush by warning us. He even took a crossbow bolt in the shoulder, meant for me. Thus he saved my life not once, but twice." Gawain told them enthusiastically. The gatekeeper looked at Shirou, who was still gawking at the castle. Shirou felt the guards gaze and quickly stopped.

"He saved yer life? That is admirable. The king will surely reward him for his valor." The other guards were equally impressed, some even whistled. The gatekeeper noticed Shirou's puzzled expression. "Can he not understand us?"

Gawain held up his hand silencing the guard while shaking his head. "He doesn't fully understand the English tongue, but he does understand simple sentences."

He looked at Shirou and saluted. "Thank ye for saving, sir Gawain." The other guards saluted as well.

Shirou got the gist of what the gatekeeper just said and gave a nod.

"Keep up the good work men. We are off to see the king." Gawain urged his horse forward. Shirou looked back. The guards had huddled together and were talking with each other rather excited. Shirou got a gut feeling that he would become a celebrity overnight.

They dismounted upon entering the courtyard. A stable hand came running and Gawain handed him the reigns. The courtyard was at least sixty meters in width and eighty meters in length. On the right side there were the stables and on the other side of the courtyard, there was a blacksmith and a fletcher's workshop. Next to that was, what seemed to be the entrance to the armory. The courtyard was very lively. Soldiers in training, stable hands tending to the horses and servants walking everywhere.

Shirou was trying to take it all in when Gawain suddenly tapped him on his shoulder. He handed him a small bag and urged him to follow. Shirou glanced inside the bag while following Gawain. Inside were his keyring, the notebook and his school shirt. Walking across the courtyard, they arrived at the inner gate, a heavy double door, roughly four meters high, reinforced with steel.

Once inside they walked through a wide corridor. Stone braziers provided light. There were a number of side corridors with most of them having heavy, oak wooden doors with steel reinforcements. They arrived at a double door, which was decorated with carvings depicting a lake surrounded by a forest and figures that could only be described as faeries. There were two heavily armored guards, armed with halberds and long swords, guarding it. When they approached, the guards opened the doors.

A huge rectangular room meant for festivities and receiving important visitors. This was the Great hall. Shirou's eyes followed the banner-decorated pillars upward to the fifteen meters high ceiling. The long slender windows on both sides of the room allowed sufficient daylight to enter. At the very end of the hall, on top of an elevation, stood the throne. A large wooden chair, decorated with beautiful carvings and an inlay of precious stones. There were a few important looking people and servants present. Shirou noticed them whispering as they casted curious glares at him.

There was no one on the throne. Gawain stopped in front of the podium. Shirou was certain that they would have to wait for the king when suddenly a man in long green robes, carrying books and scrolls, walked up to them. The man had a plain face with thick eyebrows. His properly kept brown hair, mustache and beard showed that he was a man of importance. He clearly was not as young anymore, but he could not be called old either.

"Sir Gawain. I see that you have finally arrived! The king was expecting you to arrive yesterday." The man said irritated. "I hope you have a suitable explanation for your tardiness!"

"I apologize, mister Halinard. There were some complications along the way." Gawain cast a glance at Shirou. "I was traveling with a caravan to Camelot when we were ambushed by bandits. If this young man had not foiled the ambush, I would have been killed. He received an injury during the attack. Thus we decided to rest at an inn, so the man could recover."

Halinard studied Shirou curiously. "How interesting. I have never seen a person with a complexion like his before. Is he Saksen? Frankish, maybe?"

"No. From what I could learn from him, it seems he hails from a country in the far east. Since he saved my life, it is only natural that I return the favor. At the very least he should receive a proper reward for his deeds." Gawain nodded firmly.

Halinard gestured to follow him. "Hmmmm. Follow me. The king is waiting to hear of thy findings." He made his way to a door in the back.

Gawain and Shirou followed him trough the door. They walked through a long broad corridor with various doors. At the end of the corridor they arrived at an rectangular room six meters long and four meters wide. Across the room from the corridor, there were another two heavy reinforced doors. In between the two doors was a large tapestry, hanging above a beautifully decorated table. The landscape engraved on it depicted a lush forest with rivers. They didn't went through the doors, but instead went up a wide set of stairs on the left.

At the top of the stairs they arrived at another hallroom. Instead of going up the stairs on the opposite side of the room another set of stairs, they went through the decorated door on the right side of the hall to a wooden door with decorative carvings. Two of the same heavily armored guards Shirou saw at the great hall guarded it. Upon their arrival they snapped to attention and opened the door.

The door led to a library. It was a huge room, filled with numerous bookcases and reading tables. Numerous windows and chandeliers provided lighting on several places Spiral staircases led up to stone walkways with even more bookcases. Shirou noticed several scribes and servants hurrying around carrying books and scrolls, archiving books copying writing documents and so on. They towards the back of the library where another door which led to a corridor lit by several standing candelabrum lining the walls. At the end was a door guarded by a single guard.

"The king is expecting you." The guard stepped aside and opened the door. Shirou's mind was swirling from excitement and anxiety. He was going to meet the legendary king Arthur.

They entered a large circular room. On the left side stood a beautifully decorated table, with four matching chairs and a fruit scale on top. To the right stood a bookcase filled with scrolls and on the opposite side of the room was a large archway with wooden shutters, leading to a large semicircular balcony overlooking the courtyard. In the center stood a large desk decorated with carvings. The desktop had marble inlay along the borders. Behind it stood a matching chair and next to the desk stood another knight.

But Shirou didn't pay attention to any of that because his attention was direct at the person standing behind the desk. A beautiful person, with perfectly textured golden hair, as if sprinkled with gold dust. A pair of emerald green eyes, like gems and an elegant face with soft, white skin. A small physique covered with shining armor and a blue dress underneath. It could be no other then king Arthur. However that realization hadn't yet sunken through to Shirou. He was rendered speechless when he saw the beautiful young girl in front of him.

"Onna?" Shirou muttered silently to himself. Only the knight by the desk noticed it. He was tall with blond hair and gray-blue eyes. His bangs went past his cheeks and the back of his hair had two braids ending in ponytails. His tunic was dark blue with a grey shade mixed into it. His armor was simple but elegant.

"My King." Halinard made a small bow. "Sir Gawain has arrived. Also, I have some documents that need thou seal of approval."

"Thank you, mister Halinard. Please put them on the desk. I will review them at a later time. You may leave now." The king with a voice clear like a chime, fitting for such a beautiful person.

"Of course, my king." Halinard bowed and left the room.

"Ah, Sir Gawain. I was expecting you to arrive yesterday." The king turned his gaze towards Gawain, her face expressionless. "Did something happen on your journey? And who, may I ask, have you brought here before us?"

Gawain told Arthur of his journey. The caravan, the bandit's ambush and how Shirou foiled it. How he saved him and how Shirou shielded him from the shot which was meant for him. And of their stay at the inn to have him recover from his wound. The king was listening attentively.

"The bandits are getting more and more bold. What could be the cause of this?" The other knight pondered. "You say that this young man had foiled the ambush?" He turned to face Shirou. "That was a really courageous thing to do, young man. You have earned my respect. To risk ones life for another is an act befitting a knight. Would you not agree, my king?"

"I agree, Sir Bedivere. I thank you for thy service, young man. Is there anything you want in return?" Arthur looked at Shirou, her face still expressionless. Then she noticed Shirou's uncertain expression. "Is there something wrong?"

"My king, I should inform you that he does not speak our language, outside a few basic words and phrases." Gawain explained quickly.

"That would be a problem. In any case, I am pleased to meat you, Emiya Shirou."

Shirou understood what she just said "Yoroshiku onegai shimasu, Arthur – ou."

"Uh...Do you know what did he just said, sir Gawain?" Arthur looked at Gawain with slight expression of wonder.

"Uhm, I am not entirely sure, my king, but I think it means something like 'Well met.' or something likewise."

Arthur gave a nod."It is troublesome to not be able to communicate clearly with one another. I will ask Merlin to do something about it when he returns this evening. I have no doubt that he can solve this problem. Sir Bedivere."

"Yes, my king?" Sir Bedivere stood at attention.

"Show Emiya Shirou to one of the guest rooms and provide him with something to eat. For the time being you are to be his attendant. Sir Gawain, you will remain here and report your findings."

"Certainly, my king!" Both knights answered in unison and placed their right fist on their hearts.

"please follow me, Emiya Shirou." Sir Bedivere motioned Shirou to follow. Shirou nodded in acknowledgment and followed him. They backtracked through the library into the small hall, and went up the other set of stairs to the next floor. They arrived at a room with another set of broad stairs leading leading up to an elevated area. The area traced the walls in the shape of a U with both ends lead to a door. A large double door stood way in front of the stairs.

Sir Bedivere guided Shirou through the door on the left. A large rectangular chamber resides within. A square table for four stood in the middle. Above it hung a chandelier. Tapestries and a painting of a grassland with hills and a lake decorated the walls. On the opposite end of the room was a large fire place flanked by two windows. The stock of firewood and the couch gave it a cosy feeling. Three doors leaving the room, two on the left and a third on the right.

Shirou noticed some servants cleaning the floor and dusting the tapestries. Upon their entrance, they all turned to face Sir Bedivere and Shirou.

"Sir Bedivere. How can we be of service?" One of the female servants asked.

"Please prepare a room for the king's guest and send someone to the kitchen to fetch a meal for him." Sir Bedivere ordered politely.

"Immediately, my lord." The female servant bowed. "Emma, go to the kitchen and let them prepare a meal for our guest. Avril and Gertie prepare the room. Eded light the fireplace it might be rather chilly up here for our guest." The women ordered.

"Yes, head mistress."

"Is there something else that you would require, sir Bedivere?"

"Not at the moment."

"Good day and welcome. It's our honor to attend to the king's guest." The headmistress said to Shirou. Shirou looked at the woman and tried to figure out what she just said.

"I should inform you that he is a foreigner and has only a limited understanding of our language. For the moment, I am his attendant."

"Understood. We have just finished cleaning this section, so we will take our leave momentarily."

"Headmistress, the chamber is ready and Eded hast lighted the fireplace" Avril reported when he returned.

"Alright then. Come on everybody, there are still more places to clean. I bid thee good day, sir Bedivere. If you need anything, you just need to call." The headmistress bowed and left with the other servants.

Shirou walked around a bit, exploring the rooms while sir Bedivere sat at the fire place carving a figurine from a piece of wood. A servant brought him a meal, consisting of gray bread, some slices of cheese, a sausage and grapes, accompanied with some ale. It wasn't a bad meal, but the sausage was a bit though and he only took a couple of sips of the ale. He offered the remaining ale to Bedivere, who politely accepted it. Shirou had to cut the sausage with a dagger and eat it with his bare hands, which was rather hot.

So he decided to make some chopsticks after the meal. Luckily, he found two suitable pieces of wood amongst the firewood. He took a chair and sat himself next to the fire place. Bedivere observed him while he continued working on his figurine.

Shirou saw he had another knife on his belt and pointed at it with a questioning expression. Bedivere understood what Shirou wanted and handed it to him. This was the first time Shirou made chopsticks, but he managed rather well. He was satisfied when finished and returned the dagger to Bedivere. Shirou had to suppress a smirk when he saw Bedivere staring in confusion at the two sticks. He gave Bedivere a you-will-know-soon-enough expression. It was late in the afternoon when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." Bedivere said. A guard stepped inside.

"Pardon me, Sir Bedivere. The king let's you know that he is waiting for you and Emiya Shirou at Merlin's tower."

"Thank you for informing us. I will take him there. You may return to your post." The guard saluted and left. Bedivere stood up and motioned to Shirou to follow him. They walked through a number of corridors and made their way toward the east side of the castle. There was a door, with a magic circle drawn on it, leading to the tower. Bedivere walked up to the door and knocked. The one who opened was Gawain.

"There you are. We have been waiting for you." Gawain stepped aside to let them in. They entered a large circular room of about ten meters in diameter. In the middle was a large magic circle drawn on the floor. On the south end of the room stood several tables covered with alchemical equipment, books and scrolls. There were several shelves filled with ingredients and potions along the wall and on the opposite side, the wall was lined with bookcases filled to the brim with books and scrolls. And immediately to the left was a set of stairs following the curve of the tower leading to the floor above. Most certainly to Merlin's private quarters.

Light was provided by series of windows, along with several standing candelabrum. King Arthur stood by a small table near the bookcase, next to the king stood an old man, dressed in simple, brown robes. His hair and beard were completely white, but his face and clear blue eyes, made him look rather young for his age.

"Ah, there you are." Arthur said with a calm voice. "Let me introduce you Emiya Shirou. This my friend, advisor and Magus, Merlin."

"A pleasure to meet you." Merlin stood up and extended his right hand. Shirou shook his hand and smiled.

"I am Emiya Shirou. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu."

"Oho. What an interesting language you speak. My king, I think I can remedy our communication problem. With your permission, I would like to proceed." Merlin said with an eager voice.

"Please do."

"Alright then. This will only take a moment. This will be a bit unpleasant, I fear." He said to Shirou with a mischievous grin, which made Shirou feel a bit uncomfortable. He closed Shirou's eyes and laid his hand on his forehead. Then he closed his own eyes and murmured an incantation.

Shirou's body began to feel hot. Words, sentences, …. An entire language was being poured inside his head. It hurts. He thought his head was going to explode when it suddenly stopped. Shirou fell on his knees, wiping the sweat of his forehead and looked up. Merlin was sitting on a stool but he was visibly less exhausted then Shirou and in a good mood. Gawain walked up to him with a mildly worried expression, and helped him up.

"Are you alright, Emiya Shirou?" Shirou looked at him in surprise. He fully understood what Gawain just had said.

"Yes, I'm alright."

"Looks like Merlin's magic worked." Bedivere commented with a smile.

"Of course it worked. Don't forget who I am." Merlin said with feigned annoyance. "You should now be able to understand everything we say, Emiya Shirou. By the way, when I gave you the knowledge of our language, I took the liberty to extract the knowledge of your's. I am always eager to learn new things and well ... I hope you don't mind."

"Uh … Well no, I don't mind." Shirou sighed heavily and glared mildly at Merlin. "But please ask me first the next time you do such thing, Alright? Do you like the language of my homeland?"

"Oh, I do. I do indeed. It is completely different then any other language known to us." Merlin was definitely excited about his acquisition.

"Well, that problem is solved." Arthur looked at Shirou approvingly. "Emiya Shirou, Sir Gawain has told me of how you foiled the bandit's ambush. For your bravery, I offer you my gratitude as well as a reward. You may ask anything in return. Provided it is within reason, of course."

"Uhm … Thank you for the offer, but I don't need a reward. The only thing I want is to return home, so..." Arthur and the others were momentarily stunned. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Uh... no, of course not. This was just the first time anyone had turned down a reward." Arthur regained her composure. "But if that is all you wish for, then I will do my utmost to help you to return to your home. Merlin, do you think you can help him?"

"I might be able to find a solution to his predicament if I know how he got here." Merlin nodded as he stroked his beard. "Why don't we discuss this later this evening over a cup of ale?"

"Thank you, Merlin-san."

"Before we move on, there is on thing that I want clarify." Merlin looked at Shirou with some intrigue . "I could not help but noticing it when I was doing the language exchange. Emiya Shirou, you are a Magus, are you not?" Another surprise, though not as big as Shirou's rejection of the reward.

"Yes, I am. But only an amateur." Merlin nodded and began to ponder.

"An amateur you said. Hmmmm. If that is true than I got a suggestion. If thou would chose so, I could learn you a thing or two for as long as you remain here, as a reward for your actions." Merlin made quite an offer. Shirou felt a bit overwhelmed. Being taught magecraft by the legendary Merlin!

"You? Teaching him magic? Are you planning something again?" Bedivere seemed skeptical about his proposal as were Arthur and Gawain. Merlin shrugged his shoulders and grinned sheepishly.

"I have a feeling about this boy. Besides, if he is not interested in a reward from the king, he maybe interested in learning magic from me." Merlin's gleamed with curiosity and mischief, which unnerved Shirou a little.

"And let us guess. While he practices magic under your tutelage, you will make him either a victim or an accomplice of your pranks." Gawain said unamused.

"Oh, sir Gawain. How could thee even suggest such a thing. Truly, I am shocked by your accusation." Merlin held his hand on his hearth, with an expression of faked innocence on his face. Arthur, Bedivere and Gawain all sighed, shaking their heads with exasperation. Gawain however looked more irritated then the rest. No, more like anger born from embarrassment. Merlin noticed this. "Oh! Come now, Sir Gawain. Are you still mad about that little incident?" Gawain grumbled and looked the other way.

"In any case. Emiya Shirou, shall we go and discuss the matter of returning you home? We can discuss the matter over some ale. It is only a couple more hours until supper. Sir Gawain, sir Bedivere. You are also invited."

"Thank you, my king." They said in unison. Arthur turned back to Shirou and walked right in front of him.

"Thank you for the honor, but you don't need to call me by my full name. You can call me Emiya-san or Shirou-san if you want."

"San?" Arthur asked inquisitively.

"Ah, 'san' is a neutral/polite honorific used in my language. In my country honorifics are added after either the surname or first name. Also, in my country we place the surname before the first name when addressing or referring to someone, so Emiya is my surname."

"Ahh, how interesting. Very well then. I will henceforth call you Shirou. Yes, it has a pleasant ring to it. Would you like to ..." Arthur stopped mid-sentence as Shirou suddenly took a step backwards."Is something wrong, Shirou? Why are you looking at me like that?" She tilted her head questioningly.

"Oh, Sorry. I couldn't help it. It was quite the surprise. To think that the legendary king Arthur was a girl." Shirou said, averting his gaze. She was incredibly beautiful. Bedivere and Gawain had to smirk, upon hearing Shirou's words. Arthur only raised a brow. Merlin's face however was expressionless. Shirou was surprised by the sudden mood change. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you are not the first one to mistake me for a young girl. First of all, I have stopped aging ever since I pulled the sword from the stone. I have already seen twenty-five winters in my life. While I may look like a girl to most who see me for the first time.t I promise you that I am a man." Arthur declared with a firm expression. "Now, if you would follow me."

Shirou stood there for a moment unmoving.

_No, that's a lie. Arthur is most definitely a girl._ _Well I guess the people in the dark ages only accept a male as their king, so it shouldn't be to surprising that she pretends to be a male._ But somehow the way she made that statement bothered him.

"Hey, are you dreaming?" Shirou snapped out of his thoughts and looked up. Gawain was looking at him with a grin. "There is no need to worry about it. This is not the first time that this has happened. Many of us had suspicions about the king's gender, but once you take his immortality into account it is not that surprising any more. He is just that handsome."

Shirou started following the king, but before he left Merlin's tower, he looked behind him. His eyes met with Merlin's intense gaze. And Shirou knew, that he knew, that Shirou hadn't accepted Arthur's claim of being a man unlike everybody else.


	5. Chapter 4

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 4: An evening with the king

Shirou followed king Arthur back towards the guest rooms. When they arrived at the room with the elevated area, they went up the wide stairs through the double door. It was a large square room, with a high sealing. On the left side was a long table, with enough room for at least ten people and on the right side was a huge fireplace. The fire place was at least three meters wide and two meters high with a large carpet laying in front of it. In front of the fire place stood several couches and armchairs arranged around a small round table. There was a large chandelier hanging in the middle of the room, providing light, along with several standing candelabrum along the walls.

Several paintings and tapestries decorated the room. On the left of the entry was another double door and at the end of the room was an archway leading to a huge terrace with a small garden and several marble sculptures. A male servant was maintaining a small fire in the fireplace when they entered. He looked up when he saw the king enter and bowed.

"My king. How can I be of assistance?"

"Please bring some whine for us and inform the kitchen that four more people will be joining me tonight."

"Certainly, my liege." The servant hurried of.

"Come let us talk by the fire, Shirou." Arthur motioned to the fireplace. She took a seat in a large armchair while Shirou took a seat on the couch facing her. "Tell me, where do you hail from?"

"I come from a place called Japan. It is an island nation, just like England, situated in the far east."

"The far east, you say. I heard about the tales of how Iskandar conquered many lands in his quest to find Okeanos. If your homeland is an island nation, than that must mean the sea at the other end of the world does exist." Arthur said with hint of amazement.

The doors opened and Gawain, Bedivere and Merlin entered, along with a young woman. The woman had long, curly, chestnut brown hair, baby-blue eyes and fair skin. Shirou believed her to be in her early twenties. She wore a long, purple dress, trimmed with gold.

"Ahhh, you have arrived. Come join us by the fire, my queen. Shirou, let me introduce you to my spouse, queen Guinevere."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Emiya Shirou. Sir Gawain has already told me a little about you." She extended her hand. Shirou felt a little nervous on how to respond, so he gave her a handshake. This led too several stunned expressions.

"Hihi, you were supposed to kiss my hand." She smiled from amusement. "you are certainly not familiar with our customs." She sat herself down next to Arthur. "But no harm done. In hindsight it was a little amusing. I am looking forward to know you better."

"Yes, please tell us more about yourself. I am curious to learn more about my savior." Gawain sat himself down, as did Merlin and Bedivere.

"Well, as I said earlier, I come from the island nation of Japan in the far East. I'm seventeen years old and I live alone in my father's home."

"Alone? Don't you have any other relatives?" Bedivere asked.

"No. My father, Emiya Kiritsugu, died five years ago and I don't have any other living relatives."

"Oh, dear. The passing of someone you care about is always a tragic event. I imagine that it must have been hard for you." Guinevere said with a sympathetic tone.

"No, actually. I was lucky to have had Fuji-nee looking after me. Her full name is Fujimura Taiga and she is my guardian and someone I hold dear. Her grandfather was a close friend of my father. He takes care for all the financial aspects of the house until I am old enough. And there is Sakura as well."

"It sounds you have reliable people looking after you." Arthur commented. Someone knocked on the door. "Come in."

"Apologies for the wait, my king. I have brought the wine you have requested." The servant walked to the table and put down several copper goblets and two bottles of whine. Then he started pouring the wine. "Supper will arrive shortly."

"Thank you. You may leave now."

"Yes, my king."

Everybody took a sip from the whine. Gawain was really gulping it down, but Shirou only timidly tasted the whine.

"Is the whine not to your liking, mister Emiya?" Guinevere asked.

"No, that's not it. I've rarely tasted whine before and I'm not good at handling liquor to begin with." Shirou put his goblet back on the table.

"That is unfortunate. If I may ask, does everyone in your homeland wear similar clothes like that." Guinevere casted a curious glance at Shirou's clothes.

"Well, the materials are pretty common place. I normally wear a matching shirt, but it got torn and covered in blood after I saved sir Gawain." Shirou took his ruined school shirt from the bag. "Looks like I need to get my spare shirt when I return home."

"That was certainly a serious wound." Bedivere commented when he saw the blood stained shirt. "But according to sir Gawain your wound has already fully healed. You must posses some potent healing magic."

"Well ... no. I told you in before that I'm just an amateur Magus. Before I got here, I healed just like any other normal human. I don't know why it healed so fast."

"Speaking of magic. Can you tell me what kind of magic you posses?" Merlin looked at Shirou with curiosity. "I would like to know more about the spells you know and your magic crest."

"Well, I don't have a magic crest. Kiritsugu was my adoptive father, so I couldn't inherit his crest. Besides, he didn't want to pass it down to me even if he could. As for magic, I only know strengthening magic and Kiritsugu only thought me magic for three years."

"I see. It is pretty strange for magus to not want to pass on their crest. In this case it is, however, understandable." Merlin sounded a bit disappointed. "And strengthening magic is the only thing you can use? You really are an amateur. Can you tell me about how you were trained?"

Shirou told them what his father thought him and how he had trained for the past eight years. Everybody was listening attentively. When he finished his story, Merlin's face had grown pale and his eyes were wide from disbelief.

"Uhm...pardon me, Merlin. But judging from you expression, it seems that whatever Shirou told us was rather disturbing. We would not know because we are not Magi, so could you please explain to us what it was that shocked you so much?" Bedivere inquired worryingly.

"Disturbing would not begin to cut it! Emiya Shirou, the way you have been thought magecraft is completely wrong. A magus doesn't make a new magic circuit each time he wants to use magic. They just activate the circuits that are already present within themselves." Merlin took a big gulp of wine to calm down. "Producing a new circuit each time you want to use magic is inherently dangerous. No wonder you are so bad at magic."

"I knew performing magic was dangerous. My dad always told me that a Magus had death always right beside him." Shirou's face had gotten a bit pale after Merlin's outburst. "Practicing magic is hard after all."

"Hard? My training was hard. Your training, if one could even call it that, was literally tempting dead each time. You have been training like that for eight years!? It is nothing short of a miracle that you are still alive!" Merlin raised his voice in agitation. "Your father either had no clue of what he was doing or he was secretly hoping for you to kill yourself or something likewise! You should have looked for someone who could have thought you how to be a proper Magus."

Shirou always new that what he did was dangerous, but after that Merlin told him that he was needlessly tempting dead, he felt a bit depressed. "Well, I didn't know any other Magi besides my father. And besides, he told me that I should become a magic user, rather than a Magus. Apparently there is more happiness found in just being able to use magic than being a fully fledged Magus."

"Well, as a Magus I can not really approve of that statement, but he was not completely wrong on that part." Merlin calmed down a bit.

"In any case, let us discus the issue of helping you to return home. Perhaps you should tell us how you came here. It could help us get a better understanding of the situation." Said Arthur.

"Yes, that would indeed be useful." Shirou told them of the portals and how he arrived here by accidentally touching one. Everybody listened to Shirou's explanation with intrigue.

"Hmmm, such a thing could only have occurred through something of tremendous, magical power." Merlin pondered. "You said that you never had seen such thing before, but despite that, you seemed to know quite a lot about it. Why is that?"

"Well an acquaintance of mine had lost this notebook. I found it and wanted to return it to her the next day. Unfortunately I came into contact with the portal that night and ended up here." Shirou took the notebook from his bag and handed it to Merlin. "The first night I spend here, I had taken a look at it. It contained quite some information about the portals, although I haven't read all of it. I don't know if you can read it though."

"No need to worry about that. I know the Japanese writing too." Merlin said calmly as he started reading. His face betrayed how excited and curious he was. "That is some strange parchment. Never seen anything like this before."

"Well, it isn't parchment, but paper actually." Shirou said with a casual tone.

"Paper? I hast never seen anything like this. No doubt such a fine material must be quite expensive. That person must be wealthy to afford such a fine writing material. Truly amazing, I did not know that there existed writing material of this high quality." But as he read it further, his expression started to show signs of suspicion.

"Not really. It is very common and cheap where I come from." Shirou smiled somewhat nervously from Merlin's exited reaction. Not so surprising. Paper is a real luxury in this time. Do they have paper in this time? Shirou didn't know for sure.

"It seems that your country is a very advanced nation." Arthur and the others were no less impressed than Merlin. "Maybe I should consider forming an alliance with your homeland. England could really benefit from it"

"I think you should not be so hasty, king Arthur." Merlin looked Shirou in the eyes with an imperceptible expression. "There is something I would like to clarify first."

"What do you mean, Merlin" Gawain was looking from Merlin to Shirou. "Is there something wrong?"

"Not necessarily wrong, but I feel Shirou has not been completely honest with us." Merlin declared flatly. "Emiya Shirou, you said that you came from a land in the far east, which was the truth. But! You have withheld something important regarding you origins haven't you?" Everyone now looked at Shirou in bewilderment. Shirou began fidgeting nervously.

"What do you mean, Merlin?" Surprise was mixed in Arthur's usually calm voice. "Are you saying that Shirou has deceived us?"

"Not necessarily deceived, but he did not tell us everything. What I discovered from reading this, is that Emiya Shirou is not from this time. When I read through this book, I noticed the dates written by each entry. These dates span across approximately eight years, from February 1994 to January 2002."

The room went silent. Bewilderment made place for disbelief. Shirou sighed. Now he had no choice but to tell them.

"Shirou, could you please explain what the meaning is of this?" Artur asked with an incredulous tone.

"Well, I … I wasn't sure if I should have told you this. I mean, being transported to the other side of the world is already hard to believe, is it not? _sigh_ Would you have believed me if I told you?"

"Hmm, there is some truth to your words. You were not entirely wrong about keeping this fact hidden." Arthur nodded in understanding. "Indeed, claiming that you came from the future would only have served to invite suspicion and doubt. People would probably question your sanity."

"This is incredible. What year did you say he came from?" Gawain's was trying to restrain his excitement. He was looking at Shirou intensely, which made him feel a bit nervous because of it. "Being saved by a man from another age. That is quite a saga." Gawain took a sip of wine.

"I'm from the year 2004." Everybody in the room fell silent as this fact sank in. The silence was disturbed when somebody knocked on the door and entered. It was the servant.

"Supper is ready, my king." A bunch of servants entered carrying pots, plates and dishes.

"Ah, good. Why don't we discuss this further at the table." Arthur took her goblet and went to the table. Everybody followed suit. Guinevere and Arthur sat at the head of the table. Merlin sat between Guinevere and Bedivere. Shirou wanted to sit down next to Bedivere, but Bedivere stopped him.

"You are the king's honored guest. Your place is at the king's right side." Bedivere explained with a polite tone. Shirou looked from Bedivere to Arthur. The king nodded in confirmation so Shirou sat down between Gawain and Arthur, as the servants placed the food on the table. It consisted of mainly of raw vegetables with vinegar, roasted meat and poultry. Merlin was reading the notebook while the table was being set.

"So Shirou, you came here through that strange portal, right? Could you tell me where it is located?" Merlin asked. "If I know the general location, I could send some familiars to find it."

"Well, It is a few hours walking through the forest from where the ambush took place." Shirou was happy that Merlin said that he would try and find it. Hopefully he could soon return home.

"Hmmm. Sir Gawain could you mark the spot on a map where the ambush took place?"

"That should not be a problem. I will stop by your tower later and show it to you."

"May I suggest that we eat now. The food would turn cold otherwise."

"A good idea, my queen." Arthur said in approval. "Enjoy the meal everybody."

Shirou looked around for tableware, but he found only a knife besides his plate, there was nothing else. Everybody was grabbing food from the dishes with their bare hands. They used the knife only to cut the meat. Suddenly Gawain put some vegetables and a slice of meat on Shirou's plate.

"No need to be timid, my friend. Eat to your hearth's content." Gawain said with a smile. Judging from how Gawain was chomping down the food, it must be pretty good despite it's simplicity. The others were eating at a steady pace.

"Itadakimasu." Shirou said, provoking some curious glances from the others. He took the chopsticks he made earlier from his pocket. He held down the meat with the sticks, while he cut it. Shirou found the meat rather tough to cut. He took some porridge along with the a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. The food wasn't really tasty. Especially the meat. It had definitely been roasted for too long. It isn't really polite to criticize someone else's cooking, so Shirou kept it to himself.

"So that's what those sticks were for." Bedivere smiled in understanding. He had been wondering why Shirou had made them. "Does everybody use sticks to eat in your country?"

"Yes, they are the traditional cutlery of my homeland."

"It looks an effective way to eat. Definitely much cleaner then eating with ones bare hands." Arthur looked at the chopsticks with interest. "Can I try them?"

"Sure. Here you go." Shirou handed the chopsticks over to Arthur and showed her the proper way to hold them. When Shirou touched Arthur's hand, he couldn't help but notice their smooth softness. Arthur got used to them rather fast, must be because of her warrior skills. After eating a few bites, Arthur returned them to Shirou.

"It most certainly is a clean way of eating, maybe I should consider to teach it to my people." They finished the meal a short while later.

"So, Shirou. How was the food?" Gawain's asked with a slightly hopeful tone.

"It was, hmmm … different from what I'm used to." Gawain nodded, though he seemed to have expected a better answer.

"Now, back to the issue at hand. There is something else I want to ask you." Merlin said with a dead serious tone and a dubious expression. "The creation of these portals could only have occurred through the use of an enormous amount of magical energy. This book confirms my theory. According to this book, these portals were caused by something called the Holy Grail War. Do you know anything about that?" A heavy silence fell when Merlin mentioned the Holy Grail.

"The Holy Grail? What do you mean by that? Are you saying that the Holy Grail is located in Shirou's country" For the first time since Shirou got here, Arthur had lost some of her usual demeanor. Shirou wasn't that surprised. The legend of king Arthur did mention that the king searched for the Holy Grail, or more accurately had ordered the search for it. Shirou subsequently told them what little he knew about it. About the servants and their masters participating in the ritual called the Holy Grail War, in order to obtain the omnipotent wish granting device.

"So, seven Magi summon seven Servants, souls of great heroes, to fight over the possession of the Holy Grail." Arthur repeated softly. This news was obviously both worrying and intriguing to her.

"This is truly remarkable. This means that if we would go through that portal, we would have a chance to obtain the Holy Grail!" Gawain smiled. "What do you say, my king?."

"I am not sure. The prospect of obtaining the Grail is tempting. If it was present in our own time, I would have brought to Camelot. However, since it is not, it would be best to leave it be. For now, we should do well to keep this a secret. If our enemies would learn of this, they might attempt to travel to Shirou's time in order to obtain the Grail for their own benefit." Gawain, Bedivere and Merlin agreed with the king's assessment.

"At any rate. Based on what we have learned today, I think we could help Shirou return home. However I suggest that we look for a way to seal this portal on our side as well." Merlin urged. "I will send out familiars to look for the portals location, but from what I could garner from this book, it seems it could take several days before it opens again."

"That is probably the best course of action. Well then, Shirou. It seems that you will be staying here for a while. Do you have any idea about what you want to do while you remain here?"

"I don't know, but I think I will take up Merlin's offer to teach me."

"Splendid! Tomorrow afternoon would be a good time." Merlin smiled cordial. "Uhhm. If you don't mind, I will return the book when I finished it."

"No, it's alright. As long as I can return it to Tohsaka." Shirou scratched his cheek.

"Alright. I will see you tomorrow then. Good night to all of you." Merlin stood up and left. A moment later, the servants returned to clean the table.

Arthur looked outside the window. It was already getting late. The moon and stars were already shining brightly. "We should get some sleep too."

Everybody started to rise from their seats. "Sir Bedivere, would you escort Shirou to his chambers for tonight."

"Of course, my king. Emiya Shirou, if you would follow me."

" I don't think that would be necessary. I mean, it is just across the hall." Bedivere lifted an eyebrow and looked questioningly to his king.

"Hmmm. Very well, Shirou. I guess you wouldn't get lost when your chambers are so near." Arthur nodded. "I will have a servant bring you some clothes tomorrow. That way you should draw less attention."

"That would indeed be helpful. Thank you." Shirou smiled in appreciation. "I bid you good night then." Shirou stood up and left.

"What do you think, my king." Bedivere was frowning while he pondered about the recent revelations. "This talk about time travel, the Holy Grail War ..."

"It was an interesting story. And while I had some trouble taking it all in, I don't believe he was lying." Arthur admitted. "I like him. I don't really know why, but I feel some sort of connection with him. Like a feeling of kinship. I don't know how else to describe it." Everybody was looking at the king with wonder.

"In any case, the young man sure has courage. He took that bolt which was meant for me without hesitation." Gawain pounded his fist on his hearth. "It was an act of pure selflessness, worthy of a knight. He has earned my approval." Arthur and the others could only agree with that.

"Well then. I think it is about time we all went to sleep. Would you not agree, my king." Guinevere covered a small yawn with her hand.

"Indeed. Sir Gawain, Sir Bedivere. I bid you good night." Arthur and Guinevere stood up and exited to the double door on the left side of the room. Bedivere too left the room. Gawain remained behind for a while longer to finish his drink, when he noticed one of the servants crouching by the fireplace.

"What are you doing over there?" Gawain asked, startling the servant. It was the servant that brought the whine earlier. He looked up at Gawain in surprise.

"Nothing, Sir Gawain. I had dropped this lucky charm, my daughter made for me, when I was serving the whine." He held up a small stone with a rune on it, hanging from a leather string with beads.

Gawain stared at it for a moment. "Ohh, that is all? Sorry for startling you."

"No harm done, sir." The servant put the charm around his neck and returned to cleaning the table.

Meanwhile in the ruined fortress, deep inside the basement, two persons were standing over a pedestal with a magic circle engraved in it. A rune symbol was inscribed at the center of the circle. The same rune as the one on the servant's necklace.

"What do you think, my son. Using those charms to communicate and to listen in on conversations was a good idea. Even if I say so myself." One of the two said. It was a woman, dressed in night blue robes. Her name was Morgan Le Fay, King Arthur's sister.

"Indeed it was, mother." The other person replied with a slightly annoyed tone. A knight of small stature, covered in heavy silver-white armor, decorated with red markings. It had a matching helmet with two long, dark-gray horns, giving the knight the appearance of a silver demon. "That was an interesting conversation my father had. Mother, what doth thou think?"

"Now we know what that strange fog is." Morgan tapped her finger on her cheek.

"You mean the one that you found in the small cave, under the ruined watchtower?" Mordred looked at his mother. "Indeed it is interesting. Though I don't think we have any use in traveling to the future."

"I am not so sure of that, my son. The part about a Holy Grail was certainly interesting. That is worth investigating." Mordred sank into thought. Indeed, he had not considered the possibilities an artifact like the Holy Grail could offer. It was so obvious.

"We should invite this Emiya Shirou over for a conversation, would you not say, my son." Morgan smiled wickedly. "If we can get this Grail in our possession, we could use it to seize the throne and destroy the king and her knights.

"He must be the one who foiled Giraud's ambush. I will inquire him about what he knows. Afterwards we can discus of how we can get our hands on him." Mordred left the chamber with an euphoric feeling. An omni-potent wish granting device! His mother would of course wish for king Arthur's destruction, but Mordred however had a different wish in mind. And he would see it granted.


	6. Chapter 5

**Fate/stay Night: War across time**

Chapter 5: About skills and cooking

It was at the crack of dawn when Shirou awoke. He yawned and looked out the window. It was a warm, spring morning. Shirou got out of bed and started dressing himself when somebody knocked. "Who's there?"

"Sir Bedivere. May I enter?"

"You may come in." Bedivere entered Shirou's room.

"I see you are already up and about." Bedivere looked at Shirou. "Are you wearing your own clothes? Cause a servant has prepared some clothes for you to wear." Behind Bedivere stood a female servant carrying a gray tunic and trousers, along with a pair of tall, leather boots. Shirou remembered that the king had said something about clothes last evening.

"Ahh, that's right." Shirou walked to the servants and took the clothes from her. "Thank you."

"I will be waiting in the next room, along with breakfast. If you don't mind, I will be eating with you." Bedivere spoke in a polite manner. "I haven't eaten had breakfast myself and I would like to use the opportunity to know you better."

"I don't mind. I'll be with you shortly." Bedivere nodded and left with the servant. Shirou put on the trousers and boots, but instead of the gray tunic, he took the red one he got from the merchant, because he liked the color more. He washed his face in a bowl of water, standing on the cupboard beneath the window and went to join Bedivere for breakfast.

"I see you chose the tunic you wore yesterday. Hmmm, it does suit you better then the gray one." Bedivere smiled approvingly. "Come, breakfast is served."

Breakfast was comprised of bread, cheese, a few slices of bacon, some apples and water. At least it tasted better then the supper he had yesterday.

"So, Shirou. What is your occupation, if I may ask?" Shirou eyed Bedivere for a moment. He emptied his mouth and answered. "Well, I'm a student and in my second year of high school."

Bedivere blinked in confusion. "School? I am sorry, but could you elaborate, because I am not sure what you meant by 'school'."

Shirou explained to Bedivere to concept of a school. He elaborated over the building, lessons, teachers and students, etc. Bedivere was fascinated by Shirou's explanation.

"I see. So it is basically the same as the academies of the Romans. Do many of the people in your country attend to these schools?"

"Yes, everybody goes to school. Going to school is mandatory until the age of 18."

Bedivere was listening attentively. "It is widely spread in my age, especially in the wealthier countries. That includes England, for your information."

"In this time and age, the only ones who can read and write are the nobility, knights, merchants, clergy and other persons of importance. Outside of those, most of the population is completely illiterate. They also have precious little time to bother with education." Bedivere sounded a bit depressed after hearing Shirou talk about school. "Well most of them are farmers after all. They usually spend most of the year providing food to the kingdom. Which is a constant struggle, most of the time." The two of them finished breakfast. Then Bedivere continued. "Emiya Shirou. Today I will be once again be thy attendant. Is there anything thou would like to do?"

Shirou thought for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure actually, but how about you show me around the castle? It would be useful to know my way around."

"That is a good idea." Bedivere agreed. "Well then, since we hast finished breakfast, we can begin the tour of the castle."

"Now?" Bedivere nodded. "Okay, then. Lead the way."

Bedivere guided Shirou through the majority of the castle. Some of the rooms Shirou already knew about. The Library, the throne room, etc. Bedivere showed him the many halls and rooms of the castle. Guards and servants quarters, the trophy room, the kitchen and the armory, amongst other things. They eventually arrived at an indoor training hall, which had large doors exiting to the courtyard. In one of the training areas he saw Gawain sparring with another knight. There were two other knights and a bunch of soldiers watching the duel.

The knight, who was sparring with Gawain, had long, smooth brown hair and a neatly trimmed ring beard. His eyes were chestnut brown. The armor he wore was similar to Bedivere's, but he was wearing a bright blue tunic underneath his armor. One could see clearly the two white keys in mirror image which decorated his battle-skirt. Shirou estimated him to be in his late twenties.

Of the two on watching knights, one was covered completely in magnificent, with gold decorated armor. From the back hang night-blue colored ribbons, tipped with golden points. The armor was a true work of craftsmanship, striking a perfect meld between magnificence and functionality. His hair was long, smooth and purple. And his face was handsome and undoubtedly admired and envied by many, sporting gray eyes. Judging from his appearance, he was probably in his early thirties. His sword was equally brilliant and matched his armor. With a night-blue and gold colored handle and cross guard. And silver chains were spanning around the cross guard.

The last knight had sand colored hair and goatee and steel blue colored eyes. His armor was again very similar to Bedivere's but it was decorated with a red cross on the breast plate.

Shirou and Bedivere watched silently at the duel. Both Gawain and the other knight were extremely good. Shirou noticed Gawain's sword. A beautiful sword with a blade that shines like the sun and a night blue handle and cross guard, somewhat shaped like a drop.

"What sword is Gawain using?" Shirou whispered to Bedivere.

"That is Excalibur Galatine. It is the sister-sword of Excalibur. Just as Gawain receives his blessing from the sun, the sword draws its power from the sun."

Shirou couldn't keep his eyes from the sword. Shirou sometimes wondered why he was fascinated by swords so much. Shirou had difficulty following the duel. Both men moved like whirlwinds, but Shirou knew that these two weren't going at it seriously. This was nothing more than a leisurely sparring match. If that is the case, than Shirou could not begin to imagine how it would be should they be going at it for real. Gawain and the knight dueled for a while further. Both knights were about equally matched, exchanging blows and countering feints. Until Gawain executed a devastating riposte and disarmed the other knight. The spectators applauded. After that the soldiers dispersed and went back to their business.

"Haha, you fought well, sir Kay, but you have still some ways to go." Gawain declared and he sheathed his blade. Sir Kay extended his hand. Gawain returned the handshake with a broad smile. "We should do this more often."

"Agreed." Then Gawain noticed Bedivere and Shirou.

"Looks like there were others watching." Gawain exclaimed upon seeing Shirou and Bedivere. Everybody turned their heads to look at them. "Sir Bedivere and Emiya Shirou. Come over here. I will introduce thee to the other knights."

Shirou and Bedivere walked over to the other knights. "Let me introduce you." Gawain patted the knight he dueled on his shoulder. "This here is Sir Kay."

Kay smiled faintly and made a slight bow. "Gawain hast told us of how thou saved his live. I never thought Sir Gawain would ever needed saving." Kay laughed. Gawain rolled his eyes. "And these two souls, are Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad." He gestured at the black armored knight and the one with the red cross respectively.

"It is my honor to meet you." Galahad bowed and extended his hand. Lancelot did the same. "As is mine." he said.

"Pleased to meet you. Sir Galahad, sir Lancelot." Shirou said as he shook their hands.

"My fellow knights, let me introduce thee to Emiya Shirou from Japan."

"We have heard from Merlin and Gawain that you are from the future. Is this true?" Kay was looking at Shirou with intrigue, to which Shirou nodded.

"Yes, pretty much."

"How intriguing. It is hard to believe, however at the very least I can tell that you are not lying." Kay spoke softly. "Why don't you join us for a drink?"

Kay motioned to a table in the corner. Several barrels with taps stood next to the table and on the wall was a shelf lined with mugs. Shirou followed Kay to the table and sat down on one of the stools. Galahad, Lancelot and Gawain sat themselves down on the opposite side and Bedivere took a stool next to Shirou. Kay poured in and handed out the ale.

"So, mister Emiya. Tell us more about yourself." Kay sat down next to Shirou and took a sip of ale. "Do you have many family and friends?" He asked inquisitively.

"Well, I am 17 and ever since my dad died, I live alone. Afterwards Fujimura Taiga, my guardian, looked after me. Her grandfather takes care of the important aspects, like the taxes and such, until I'm old enough and can maintain it myself."

"Ohh, you says that your guardian's grandfather takes care of the important aspects until you are old enough?" Kay and the rest were surprised, although Shirou couldn't figure out why.

"I believe you had mentioned it yesterday, hast thou not?" Bedivere remembered Shirou telling about it. "If you are wondering as to why we are surprised, I will tell you that in our country one is considered an adult when at least fourteen winters. So it is a bit surprising to us."

"I see. I guess that is normal for this day and age. But in my time the standard of living is substantially higher and life is more peaceful too. And with the improved medical care people can live longer, so the legal age for being considered an adult lies higher as well."

"That is understandable." Kay stroked his beard. "Now that you have told us a bit more about yourself, it is our turn. I am the son of sir Ector and the king's foster-brother. I have known the king since childhood and I can say proudly that I am amongst his most trusted." Kay said proudly, but there was Shirou noticed a hint of sadness in his voice. "My skills with the sword are worthy of a knight of the round table, but as you hast just witnessed, not the best. My true talents lie with finances, management and diplomacy." There was no boasting in his words, only the humble truth.

"Ay, That is very much true." Bedivere grinned. "He often advises the king on financial and diplomatic matters. As for me … Well, I am the head of the royal guard. I have worked hard to reach this position and I am truly proud to stand at the king's side." Bedivere said that with a proud, yet surprisingly humble tone.

"Let none question that fact. My name is sir Lancelot, knight of the lake. I was the first knight to join the king and the knights of the round table." Lancelot voice sounded masculine, yet gentle. "My interests are traditions and etiquettes."

"And as previously introduced, I am Galahad. I am skilled with both the spear and the sword. I love a good hunt more than anything." Galahad said casually.

"May we inquire about your hometown?" Kay asked. "I am kind of eager to learn as to what kind of place it is."

Shirou took a sip from his mug. "The city is called Fuyuki, which means snowy winter. Fuyuki city is split by the Mion river in to two towns. There is the older district, Miyama town, which is a suburban area with traditional buildings. It too can be divided in two parts, namely the traditional Japanese district, were my house is located and the foreigners houses district. This is were the descendants of foreign immigrants live."

Shirou paused for a moment to let the information sink in. "There is a cross section between these two districts which connects to the school, the shopping district, ehhh … that is a sort of merchants district. Than there is the temple and the bridge to Shinto town. Shinto town is the newer district. It has undergone intensive redevelopment after an inferno destroyed a large part of the town ten years ago."

"Interesting. Could you explain what a traditional Japanese house is like. And what are considered traditional domestic customs and etiquette?" Lancelot asked. Shirou gave them a quick breakdown of a traditional Japanese house and basic traditional customs. Lancelot was really inquisitive about the Japanese traditions and etiquette. "The customs sound really interesting. I would like to experience it sometime."

"You really are into traditions and etiquette. Aren't you, Sir Lancelot?" Shirou grinned.

Lancelot smiled. "Traditions and etiquette are important. They are an important part of one's cultural heritage. And knowing the traditions and etiquette from other countries is always useful." Shirou could readily agree with that.

Now Galahad had some questions. "I would like to know about your talents."

"My talents? As in what I'm good at and stuff I like to do?" Galahad nodded in confirmation. "Well, I like fixing things. Next to that I'm also fond of doing household chores, especially cooking. And I have some skill with archery."

"Cooking, household chores?" Galahad raised a brow in surprise. The others too looked a bit uncertain of how to react to this fact. "Usually that is a woman's duty."

"Well, I live alone, so I have to. But I rather like it. And Sakura also helps around the house from time to time." Shirou explained.

"Sakura? Is that a girl by chance?" Galahad smiled whimsical. Shirou nodded. He smiled involuntarily when he thought about Sakura.

"I believe you had mentioned her last evening." Bedivere recalled.

"She is my friend's sister. About a year and a half ago I injured my shoulder. Because of that she ended up helping me with the household, which was really helpful. In return I taught her how to cook and now we are sort of competing over who can cook best."

"Let us talk about something else. You mentioned archery? Are you an archer in your country?" Gawain asked after taking a huge gulp of ale.

"For a short time. I was part of the archery club, but I had to quit for a while after receiving that shoulder injury. I ended up quiting entirely though." Shirou admitted. He also quickly explained the concept of a club when he saw their puzzled faces.

"How good are your skills with the bow, if I may ask?" Gawain put down his mug.

"Decent I would say."

"Could you demonstrate? You have peaked my curiosity." Lancelot smiled in expectation.

Shirou shrugged his shoulders. "I have nothing to do right now, so ...sure. Why not?"

"The archery range is outside." Gawain stood up and walked to the door. "I have a feeling that this should be good."

Shirou and the others followed him to the archery range. This turn of events was rather abrupt. At the archery range there stood several wooden dummies lined up at a distance of around thirty-fourthy meters.

"Here take this bow and quiver. We are curious to see your skills with the bow." Galahad had taken a bow and a quiver from a rack and handed the items to Shirou.

"Very well. It's been a while, but I think I'll manage." Shirou took position and readied the bow. He lifted the bow up and knocked an arrow. He drew as he brought them back down , aimed and loosed the arrow. He hit the dummy square in the face.

"Nice shot." Bedivere whistled, mildly impressed. "But can you do it again?" In response Shirou lined his second shot and fired another arrow. This time he hit the hearth. After that he shot several more arrows, every one of them hit the target. And most of then would have been an instant or near-instant kill shots.

"More than decent, I would say." Gawain remarked afterwards. He and the others were now more than a little impressed. "I am glad we are not enemies."

"I concur. That was some fine shooting there." Everybody turned around to find Arthur standing there. The knights bowed to their king. Shirou followed their example. "I saw you shooting from the balcony and decided to come take a look."

"Thank you. Eh, how are you today?"

"I am fine. Thank you for asking. By the way, don't you have magic training with Merlin?"

"Ohh. He is to train with Merlin?" Kay made a face somewhere between a smile and a painful expression. "You better keep your guard up, mister Shirou. Merlin is infamous for pulling pranks."

Shirou looked at Kay. "Now you mentioned it. Didn't you say something like that yesterday when we were in Merlin's tower?"

"Indeed. Merlin is known for pulling some serious pranks. Not many of them which are appreciated." Bedivere elaborated with an expression of hopelessness. "I remember the time when he put something in the guards drinks, turning them blue for a week."

"Or the time he made that poor baker think he was a dog." Kay added. "And not to mention how he steals women's undergarments."

"I see. Wait! Merlin steals womens underwear?" Shirou suddenly had a vision of Merlin sneaking into somebody's home at night and stealing underwear. Hopefully Merlin doesn't use the portal to get to his time.

"Yes, he does. And those are some of his more … innocent pranks." Gawain's expression was one of anger and embarrassment. Clearly he had been a victim of one of Merlins pranks. Then Gawain's expression softened. "However, he is also an avid womanizer. That is one of the few things I do like about him. He should tell us sometime how he keeps reeling in women."

"It certainly is troublesome. I have been lenient towards him, as he is my advisor and mentor." Arthur sighed. "His magecraft has also proved invaluable on numerous occasions. However one of these days I will be forced to lock him up for real."

"Come on. It was not all that bad." Merlin had suddenly popped up behind them, grinning mischievously. "There is nothing wrong with having a good laugh. And regarding those women, I always considered love the most important thing in the world, I have you know."

"That is indeed troublesome." Shirou started to feel really uneasy about training with Merlin.

"Anyway, I would like to tell you, Shirou, that the training will start after lunch. Can't train on an empty stomach after all."

"Ohh, so you are the stranger I heard so much about." Everybody turned around at the sound of the somewhat muffled voice. There stood a knight with a rather small frame, but he was completely covered in heavy silver-white armor with red markings, complete with a matching helmet sporting two large horns. Most of the other knights looked at him with a imperceptible expression.

"Sir Mordred. It has been a while since I last saw you. I see that you have calmed your temper since the incident." Arthur's looked at Mordred with a calm expression.

"I have indeed, king Arthur." Mordred waved his hand, sounding a little annoyed. He looked at the dummy. "It seems your guest is a capable archer. My name is Sir Mordred. May I ask your name?"

"Good day, Sir Mordred. My name is Emiya Shirou. But you can call me Emiya or Shirou." Shirou extended his hand. Mordred looked at Shirou's hand for a moment then he grasped Shirou's hand in a strong handshake. Shirou thought that he was trying to break his fingers.

"Well met. You are certainly good with a bow, but how good are you with a sword?"

"Not good actually. I did a little training with my dad and a friend, but that was some time ago."

"Ah, I see. I hear that you maybe stuck here for a while. Maybe somebody could train you in the ways of the sword. I doth not think 'tis a bad idea."

"Maybe not. I'll think about it." Suddenly Shirou's stomach growled.

"I think we all should go and grab a bite. Its high noon already." Galahad said after noticing the position of the sun.

"Good idea." Arthur put his hand on his stomach, as it too growled. They followed the king to the mess hall. Everywhere they go people bowed as the king passed and when they arrived at the mess hall everybody stood up and bowed to the king.

"Everybody can return to their meals. Somebody bring us some food." Arthur ordered calmly.

"I already ate so I don't need anything." Mordred added.

Not long after, a couple of servants arrived and put down plates laden with raw vegetables, pieces of meat and some mugs with ale. Shirou took out his chopsticks and started eating. The food was just as tasteless as the food from yesterday evening.

"That is a strange way of eating." Mordred commented when he saw Shirou using his chopsticks. "But not a bad one. 'Much cleaner then eating with ones bare hands."

"It is standard cutlery in my homeland. Aren't you going to remove your helmet?"

"I never remove my helmet." Mordred said with a bored tone. "In fact, It is a part of my armor itself."

"Indeed. I don't think anybody hast ever seen Mordred's face." Lancelot said. A short tense silence fell. Only Arthur continued with her meal unhindered.

"Anyway. Tell us mister Shirou. How does our food compare to the food in thy country? Does it taste good?" Kay said to break the tense atmosphere.

"There is nothing wrong with the food, I would say." Gawain declared with absolute certainty. "I have never heard of anybody complaining about our food. Besides, when it comes to food it is quantity and not quality that counts."

"Regardless, can you give me your honest opinion?" Kay casted an annoyed glance at Gawain.

"My honest opinion." Shirou looked at Kay somewhat nervous, to which Kay nodded rather exaggerated.

"Okay, then. To be honest I don't know if your cooks simply lack imagination or if they are just being plain lazy." Everybody looked at Shirou with stunned expressions, even Arthur.

"The food is pretty much tasteless. And especially the meat is though, dry, … either overcooked or undercooked. And too much vinegar too." Nobody noticed one of the servants sneaking away after hearing Shirou's comment.

"That was ...pretty direct." Said Galahad.

"Direct. I would say it was rude." Gawain's grumbled. "There is nothing wrong with the food. Nobody, not even the king, hast ever complained about it."

"Shirou, do you really mean what thou just said?" Everybody's gaze turned to the king now, curious about how their king would react. Arthur was looking at Shirou with a hint of anticipation on her calm face.

"Yes. I mean it! I'm sorry if I have offended you, but that just how it is." Shirou declared without hesitation. Arthur suddenly averted her gaze. They could hear her gritting her teeth.

"So it is. I thank you, Shirou. You are the first person to openly admit it." Arthur said, with a hint of loathing in her voice. Everybody was stunned at the kings words. "I can not cook myself and while I am not displeased by it, I went along with it because the knights acknowledged it as tasting good." The knights were at a loss for words.

"Who is the one claiming that our cooking is bad?" Somebody grumbled suddenly behind them. Everybody turned to see a small, burly man dressed in a simple tunic and a stained apron. He was middle-aged, had light green eyes and sported black unkempt hair. He made a bow when he saw the king, then he looked at Shirou with disdain. "Who are you to insult our cooking? We work our arses off every day to keep the people of the castle well fed."

"I'm sure you do. Your food would definitely give them the energy they need, but the taste is another matter entirely." Shirou shot back. "Even if you need to keep hundreds of people fed, that is no excuse for the poor taste."

"Food is meant to keep people fed and full of energy. In the end it just is boiling or roasting meat and vegetables. That is all there is to it." Everybody was now following their argument intensively.

"No, you're wrong. There is way more to it than that."

"The lad is right." Mordred said, much to everybody's surprise. "I have a man under my command that cooks better than this. Speaking of which, I just had an idea. Why don't we let mister Emiya cook tonight? Maybe the castle cooks can learn a thing or two." Mordred said with a chuckle. The cook looked at Mordred with disbelief, then he looked at the king as if pleading.

"Mordred's idea is not bad. What do you say, Shirou? Would you like to cook for us tonight?" Arthur asked calmly.

Shirou didn't need to think about it. "No problem, but it will be after Merlin is done with his lessons. Before I go to him, I can check out the kitchen and see what I have to work with. Maybe send out some people to get some additional ingredients."

"Very well. I am sorry mister Everill, but Shirou will be in charge of supper today." The cook looked at the king downcast, his feelings clearly hurt.

"Very well, my king." The cook left with a sobbing face.

"I will be joining you tonight as well!" Mordred declared. "I am quite interested in what Emiya is going to cook."

"Are you going to remove your helmet then?" Kay asked incredulous.

"Ay, but I will wear different one for the occasion." He tapped his finger on the table. "I should be able to find another one just for that." He mumbled.

"That is agreed then. Shirou will cook for us tonight." Arthur stated. "Now if you would excuse me, I have some business to attend to." Arthur left the table and walked to the door.

"Is she always that serious? She doesn't show much emotions, does she?" Shirou remarked.

"The king never shows emotion." Bedivere replied with a sad voice. "And mister Shirou, the king is a man. I know his appearance can be misleading, but please try to remember that." Bedivere requested politely.

"I'll do that." He sighed. It was however obvious that Shirou didn't really mean it. He still stood by his belief that Arthur was a girl, which somewhat annoyed the knights. Shirou caught Kay looking at him, like if to say: 'At least somebody realized the truth.'

Afterwards Shirou went to inspect the kitchen with Bedivere. Shirou determined that he could make do with the available utensils, but he did ask to have some additional ingredients fetched and to have some chopsticks made for this evening.

When Shirou and Bedivere went to Merlin's tower, they were intercepted by Kay.

"Sir Kay. Surprised to see you. Is there something you need?" Bedivere asked.

"Ay. I was hoping I could lead Shirou to Merlin's tower instead. There is something I wanted to discuss with him. In private, please." Bedivere looked at Shirou, who looked at Kay curiously for a moment, before an expression of understanding appeared on his face.

"Ahh, alright. Sir Bedivere, if you don't mind." Bedivere was obviously curious about it all, but he didn't force the matter.

"As you wish. Sir Kay, mister Shirou." Bedivere left them alone, while Shirou and sir Kay continued to Merlin's tower.

"I guess you want to talk about the king being a girl. Everybody seems not to notice, but you do."

"I grew up with the king, as she is my foster sister. Merlin made a contract with his magic to silence me, so I can not talk about it as I please. But it's a different matter when the one I am talking to has realized it by himself"

"Merlin did?"

"Yes, Merlin. I understand of course. In this day and age it is only natural that the king is male. You should be careful when speaking about it though. Merlin knows that you are aware of the truth, so he will try to silence you if he deems it necessary."

"Yeah, I know. So, you and Merlin are the only ones who know about it?"

"The king's father knows too of course." They stopped at the entrance to Merlin's tower. "We are here. We will discuss this matter further another time."

"Alright, I will see you tonight." Kay nodded and walked away.

"Before you go ..." Kay turned around. "I heard there had been an incident between Mordred and the King. What happened between the two?"

Sir Kay looked at Shirou hesitantly for a moment. "Mordred came out of no-where and earned his place at the round table trough his own strength. He has upheld the ways of chivalry like no other."

Kay rubbed his eye and sighed. "For as long as we hast known him, he has never removed his helmet and no-one knew where he came from. But a couple of months ago he appeared before the king and declared himself to be the king's son. It turned out he was born from the king and Morgan le Fay, through Morgan's scheme's. He arrogantly asked the king to acknowledge him as his son and heir to the throne. The king rejected him clearly and Mordred had left the castle in anger. It seems he has managed to cool his temper and straighten himself out since then." Kay's expression showed some doubt. "But I don't trust him. I can feel that he is plotting something.

Shirou pondered about what Kay just told him. Of course, how could have forgotten. According to the legend Mordred was king Arthur's son. The legend ended when Mordred rebelled against the king. There was one thing that did not make sense to him, however.

"Sir Kay? Arthur is a girl, so how can she be the father?"

Kay threw his arms up. "Merlin is half incubus. He probably used his magic on her so she could produce an heir." He sounded really disturbed by it. Not really surprising, though. "But now I really need to go. See you tonight. I am rather curious of what you are going to make for supper." Sir Kay turned around and went down the stairs. Shirou followed him with his gaze until he was gone, before entering Merlin's tower.


	7. Chapter 6

**Fate/stay Night: War across time**

Chapter 6: Magic, cooking and Mordred

Shirou saw Merlin releasing some doves through the window when he entered the tower. Shirou reckoned them to be the familiars Merlin sent to find the portal. Merlin turned around when he heard the door close.

"Ahh, there you are. Are you ready for your lessons?" Shirou gave a firm nod. Then Merlin's expression darkened a bit. "I heard you had met Sir Mordred. I will give you some advice: stay away from him! That man is trouble."

Shirou stared at Merlin silently for a moment. "Really? He was a bit strange, but he didn't seem such a bad guy." He retorted.

"Mordred was born from Morgan's plotting. He is Morgan's son and can not be trusted." Merlin declared coldly.

"He is also Arthur's son, and just because his mother is bad doesn't mean Mordred is bad." Merlin could not help but smile at those words.

"True enough. Any way, let us begin your training. Please take a seat." Merlin motioned to the stool next to him. Shirou did as Merlin instructed.

"Now, you had told me of your dangerous training method. Well forget about that! From now on you will not be using it ever again!" Merlin said firmly, causing Shirou to tense up a bit.

"Now look Shirou, a Magus already has a Magic circuit since birth as do some normal humans. However, the difference between a Magus and such person is that the Magus can activate the circuit at will. To do this they use a mental image as a trigger to activate it. This image differs from person to person." Shirou listened attentively to Merlin's lecture.

"It is obvious that you have never done this before. So I will help you activate your magic circuit for the first time. Remove your tunic please." Shirou removed his tunic. Merlin walked up to him and took up position behind him. He laid his hand on Shirou's back.

"Now focus, Shirou. Try finding a image that suites you and focus on it. At the same time concentrate on activating your circuit. I will send some of my magical energy through your body to help you open it. I warn you though. It will be a bit unpleasant."

Shirou focused. An image that he could associate with activating his circuit. He thought deeply and an image of the hammer of a gun appeared. Yes! Like how you unleash so much power with such a small thing. Now, while holding that thought, he tried to activate his circuit. "Trace on." His body began to feel warm. He could feel the magical energy beginning to flow. Then Merlin send his energy through Shirou's body. It felt like he was being cooked. Then as suddenly as his body heated up it cooled back down. Shirou fell on his knees gasping for air, drenched in cold sweat.

"Success!" Merlin voice sounded elated. "That was good, Emiya Shirou. Here have some water to cool down." Merlin took a mug of water from the table and handed it to him. "When you have rested a bit, we will examine your origin and element. Then we are done for today."

"Is that all we are doing today?"

"Eager, aren't we?" Merlin chuckled. "Activating your circuit for the first time has drained quite some strength from you. So yeah, that will be all for today." Shirou took a big gulp of water.

"What do you exactly mean by Origin and element?" Merlin had expected as much. Nevertheless he could not help sighing from disappointment.

"I see. So your father did not even teach you that much." He scratched his head. "Well first let me explain to you the concept of the Elements. There are basic elements: Fire, water, earth, wind and void. Usually a Magus has an affinity with at least one of these. There are off course other elements besides the five previous mentioned, but they are rather uncommon." Merlin paused for a moment while, allowing it to sink in.

Shirou closed his eyes for a moment, pondering about what Merlin had told. "Let's say that if I had an affinity with fire, then fire magic would be the magic best suited for me." She

"Indeed, you catch on quickly." Merlin stroked his beard and smiled approvingly. "There are also those who have an affinity with more than one element. Those who have an affinity with all five elements are very rare. That is about the basics regarding elements." Merlin filled another mug with water and drank some.

"Moving to Origins. Elemental Affinity indicates a Magus' general alignment and not all Magi have one. An Origin however gives precise details about a Magus and not only for a Magus. Even animals posses an Origin. It defines one's existence and directs one actions throughout life from the moment they come into existence. If one's Origin is strongly expressed outwardly, than their Origin can become their alignment. Thus replacing their original alignment." Merlin was really getting into the flow. "Most of the time they merely get removed somewhat from their normal alignment. However... when their Origin becomes their alignment, they become extreme specialists. As such they can potentially reach higher grounds than normal magi and overcome great obstacles in some cases." Shirou was listening intensely to Merlin's lecture which obviously amused Merlin.

"That is about the most important things you needs to know about Origins. While we are waiting for you to recover a bit, would you mind telling me a bit about the magi from your era?" Merlin was looking hopeful and curious.

"Well, I will try. But you should know that I don't know much about it. Other than my father, I didn't know any other Magi. Neither did he tell me much about the world of magi." Shirou took another sip and stretched himself. He wasn't sure of what to say, so merely told Merlin what he remembered from what his father told him.

"According to my father magic has declined over the past thousand years, viewed from my time of course. So in order to safeguard the magical arts the magi banded together and formed the Mage's Association. Their main goals are to conceal, control and develop Magecraft. My father always said that I should stay clear of the association." Merlin leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. His eyes gleaming from curiosity. "The Magi in my time keep themselves and magic hidden from the normal society. As long as a Magus doesn't do anything that draws to much attention or break any taboos, they are free to do whatever they want, no matter how evil their deeds." Merlin listened silently to Shirou's explanation. The more Shirou told him, the darker his expression grew.

"I don't really like what you just told me. You said that magic has declined that much?"

"Yes, I don't think there are many magi that can stand up to magi from this time."

"I, as some other Magi, have already come to understand that Magic would decline, but still … And judging from what you told me, I can garner that the Magi haven't changed their ways either. Not surprising." Merlin's face turned sad for a moment and took another sip. "We will continue on this topic some other time. How do you feel?"

"Better. Are we now going to determine what my Origin and Alignment are?" Merlin nodded.

"Let's begin. First a question: Is there anything that interests you? Something that attracts you to the point that you even see it in your dreams?"

"Well, there is something." Merlin held up his hand. He moved himself in front of Shirou. And placed his hands on Shirou's forehead and hearth.

"I want you to close your eyes and focus on that. I will use a spell that will help me identify you Origin and Alignment. Shirou did as he was told and concentrated on it. The image of the golden sword he had seen in his dreams countless of times. Sword's had always fascinated Shirou, although he never figured out why. He could hear Merlin recite his spell and he could feel the magic working.

"You can open your eyes again." Merlin removed his hands. "It seems your Origin is 'sword' as is your alignment."

Shirou looked at Merlin's troubled face. He was lost in thought. "Is there something wrong, Merlin?"

"Hmm, what? Oh no, there is nothing wrong. I was just .. eh .. surprised by your origin." Merlin still looked troubled though. "When a person, a Magus, has dreams like those you have, it can be a possible indication of ones Origin. That makes finding ones Origin and Alignment a lot easier."

"I see. So what now?" Shirou put his tunic back on.

"Now I know what you Origin and Alignment are, I can determine how I can properly teach you how to use your magic." Merlin brushed his beard. "Since your Origin and Alignment is 'Sword', I would suggest to pick up some sword training. If my suspicions are correct, which they are most of the time, it will be wise for you to do so. But for now we are done and I don't want to tire you too much today. I am looking forward to tonight's supper." Merlin sounded eager to try Shirou's food.

There are a couple of hours to spare before Shirou would have to go to the kitchen so he decided to explore the castle a bit. During his exploration he ran into Arthur.

"Your majesty. How are you?"

"I am fine, Shirou. But what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be training under Merlin's guidance."

"Yeah. Today Merlin only activated my circuit for the first time and looked at my Origin and Alignment. So now he is trying to find an appropriate training method for me. Since there is still some time before I have to go to the kitchen, I decided to explore the castle a bit."

Arthur looked at him unblinking. "I see. Would you like to accompany me for a while? I have finished all of my important duties for today, so I now hast a little time on my hands."

"Okay. If I can please his majesty with my presence, I will."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "There was no need to be so stiff. When we are not in the throne room or in the presence of important visitors, you can be a little less formal."

"I'll remember that."

"Good. Why don't we go to the terrace? I would like to know more about you and your country." Shirou followed the king to the terrace garden. They met quite some people along the way. Everyone bowed when the king passed, but nobody spoke to the king. Somehow that annoyed Shirou, though he could not quite determine as to why it bothered him. When they arrived at the terrace, they sat down on one of the stone benches overlooking the country side. In the bright midday sun the grasslands looked like flowing gold.

"Tell me, Shirou. I know you have only been here for a short while, but how does it feel living in this time and age?"

"Well, the beds are some getting used to since I prefer to sleep in a futon."

"Futon? Is that the traditional type of bed in your country?"

"Yes. Although we have similar beds as here, brought to our country by western immigrants. The traditional Japanese bed is quite different. The futon consists of a bottom mattress and a stuffed quilt and is simply put on the floor. Other than that I kinda miss the daily conveniences which I have always taken for granted. It is all making me realize how good we have it in my time."

"Hmm, I see. What is a Japanese house like?" Shirou told her about how in a traditional Japanese home, how everybody sits and sleeps on the floor. Explained about the design and such.

"Interesting. But why do Japanese people sit and sleep on the ground?" Arturia looked inquisitively as she folded her hands.

"Uhm...I am not sure myself. But I believe that it has to do with the fact that Ancient Japanese houses were built over a platform. And the entire house was pretty much considered a bed." Shirou thought about it for a moment. But he believed that it was about right, if he remembers his history lessons well enough.

"That is certainly very different from our living style." Arturia put her fist on her chin and nodded as she thought about it.

"You can say that again." Shirou looked at Arthur with a peculiar stare.

"Why do you look at me like that? Is there something wrong?" Arthur put herself a little on guard.

"No, nothing. I still can't believe that the legendary king Arthur was actually a girl. That certainly was a surprise. It is amazing that nobody realized it."

"Shirou, you have recognized me for what I truly am, but I want you to keep it a secret." Arthur said firmly. Her eyes gazing at him intensely. "I am indeed a girl. However I want to make it clear that I am a knight and the king foremost. My gender is of no importance!"

Shirou frowned. What Arthur just said didn't sit right with him. "I can understand that you have to conceal your gender, so I'll keep quiet. But since you are a girl, would you mind if I call you Arturia when we are alone?"

Arthur sighed. "I rather not. It is important that this remains a secret. So I must incist that you don't call me that." She urged him.

Suddenly they heard the doors open. They turned around to see lady Guinevere and Sir Lancelot. Sir Lancelot bowed in greeting the king. He bid lady Guinevere good day and left.

"Does Guinevere know that you are a girl?" Shirou whispered.

"Could be. I never revealed it to her. I also never slept in the same bed, so she might have some suspicions. Regardless, I know she understands her position as queen regardless."

Shirou made a sad face. "Must be hard on her."

"I agree. She has Sir Lancelot supporting her. For which I am glad." An expression of shocked recollection suddenly appeared on Shirou's face. According to the legend Lancelot had an affair with the queen which didn't end well.

"Is something wrong, Shirou?" Arthur looked a little disturbed when she saw Shirou's troubled face.

"Ah...uh, well...no. No, nothing is wrong." Shirou averted his gaze.

"Hello, my king." Guinevere had walked up to them. She was smiling brightly, but despite of that Shirou could swear he saw a hint of sadness in her eyes. In any case he was glad for Guinevere's interruption. "Mister Emiya, how fare you today?"

"Fine, milady. I was telling the king about the traditional houses of my country and such. How was your day?"

"Fine, mister Shirou. Nothing really important happened. Sir Lancelot was so kind to provide me some company. By the way, I believe it is only a short time before supper."

Shirou looked at the steadily setting sun. "Is it that late already? Thank you for reminding me, milady. Well then. I shall be going. Shall we continue this conversation another time?"

"We will. I'll let you know that I am looking forward to try your cooking." Arturia gave him a meaningful look. Shirou gave a nod and left.

When he arrived at the kitchen Everill and the other cooks were waiting for him. All the fires were already burning. Everill was clearly annoyed.

"Ahh, there is our 'master cook'. We have been waiting for ye." Everill said with sarcasm. "Is the kitchen to your liking?"

Shirou had told them to clean the entire kitchen and fetch some additional ingredients earlier today. When Shirou checked the kitchen he found it above satisfactory.

"Hmmm, good work. A good cook should always keep his kitchen as clean as possible. So, before we begin: has everybody washed their hands?" Everybody looked at Shirou with surprise.

"No, we haven't." One of the servants responded. Shirou shook his head.

"Ok, let's do that first. When cooking, it is important to clean your hands before you start. That is healthier and cleaner. So everybody wash your hands in, preferably, hot water. Make sure to clean under your nails as well." Everybody was looking at each other in confusion, but they did as Shirou said.

"Ok, now we can begin in earnest." Shirou gave various instructions. The cooks were skeptical at first about Shirou's methods, but soon began to see the use of it. Methods like cooking the chicken before roasting it. Shirou decided to make several dishes with pork, veal, fish, venison and poultry. There was a large pot of vegetable soup, and several pots with sauces. Shirou was a bit worried at first. He didn't know if the cooks and servants would cooperate. He did criticize their cooking quite a bit. But the longer they worked, the more they came to realize the truth of Shirou's claims, albeit begrudgingly. At one point Everill suddenly walked up to Shirou.

"Emiya Shirou, I would like to apologize." He said with a small voice. Shirou blinked his eyes at Everill's words. "I never knew that there was such a way of cooking."

"Ahhh...uh...No need to apologize Everill-san. I too should have been more polite in my criticizing. I'm glad I could help. This reminds me a bit when I taught Sakura to cook." Shirou had to smiled at the memories and turned his attention back to the mushroom sauce.

"I thank you, Emiya Shirou." Everill smiled. "By the way is this Sakura a girl perchance?" Shirou looked at Everill and nodded, to which Everill grinned before returning to his kettle. "Oh... What does _san_ mean?"

Meanwhile at the dinner table, the king, the queen, Merlin and the knights were awaiting dinner. The table was already set. Shirou had arranged for chopsticks, since it would take a while to fashion forks for everybody, which peaked the curiosity from several people. Guinevere was talking with Merlin and sir Lancelot. The other knights were discussing different topics ranging from stories of bravado to the recent bandit activity. Bedivere and Kay were talking with Mordred.

"So, Mordred. First time seeing some part of your face." Kay looked Mordred in the eyes, which were normally hard to see under his horned helmet. He noticed Mordred's familiar-looking green eyes. Eyes like those of the king. Mordred was wearing a simple helmet with a visor, leaving only his mouth and chin uncovered. A parts of his armor had also been removed, like the gauntlets and tassets. His arms and hands were surprisingly slender.

"I must say it does feel rather odd, not wearing my full face-covering helmet." Mordred took a sip of ale. "Well, I am curious about what mister Emiya is going to cook for us."

"It was quite a shocking revelation when you revealed yourself as the king's son." Said Bedivere. "I never realized."

"Neither did I, until mother told me. But all that is meaningless since the king rejected me as his son." Mordred's voice a rose a little. Kay and Bedivere noticed his hand, holding the goblet, trembling for a moment. They glanced at each other with meaningful eyes. Both held suspicion for Mordred ever since he revealed himself to be the king's son. Suddenly the doors opened and servants entered the dinning chamber, carrying plates and kettles laden with food. Everybody's mouths started watering when the smell reached their noses. Shirou entered the room lastly.

"Good evening everybody. I thank you all for your patience. Before we begin, I have arranged for everybody to be provided with chopsticks. The two sticks on everybody's right. These will make it easier, or at least make it cleaner to eat. I'll give you a quick demonstration of how to use them properly." He took out his own chopsticks from his pocket and showed them how to use them properly. Most of them got the hang of it quickly. Although some of them had some trouble with it.

"Now let us begin. For starters there is a simple vegetable soup. Next we have various dishes consisting from fish, poultry, venison, pork and veal along with vegetables. And without further delay, everybody enjoy the food."

The servants started pouring the soup. Shirou took his place next to the king. Everybody was a exited. They looked at the king, waiting for him to take the first bite. Arthur took her spoon and scooped up the soup. She brought it to her mouth and tasted it. She was momentarily stunned from the taste.

"Delicious!" She exclaimed. "This is really good."

This prompted the others to taste it as well. It was just a simple vegetable soup, but with the right mix of herbs it tastes so much better. Everybody clearly enjoyed it with many calls for seconds which delighted Shirou very much. Some still had trouble with the chopsticks though. As was evident when Kay simply stabbed them in the meat and how Galahad kept dropping the food each time it got anywhere near his mouth.

"This soup is great, Shirou." Mordred was clearly savoring the taste, as he was eating it at a rapid pace. "You did really well."

"No argument there, sir Mordred." Bedivere joined in. "Simply delicious."

Shirou smiled from satisfaction. He looked to Arthur, who was busy with her second serving of soup. She sure was eating fast too. By the time they finished the soup, it was time for the main course. The venison and the fish were the most popular. While most people at the table managed to use the chopsticks, some still had trouble with it. It was quite funny to see some of them struggling with it.

"Great cooking, Emiya Shirou." Gawain grinned as he patted his stomach, feeling saturated. "I did not know one could prepare food like this. I mean... I always liked the food they served, but this really is exquisite!"

"Well thank you, sir Gawain. How many servings have you got?"

"Two for the soup and venison and one for the poultry. And some bits from the other dishes."

"you always were the biggest glutton at the table, sir Gawain." Bedivere smirked. "I only had one serving of soup, pork and veal and I am already full."

"Excuse me, but may I say something?" One of the servants interrupted suddenly. Shirou, Bedivere, Mordred and Gawain looked at the servant questionably.

"What is it that you want to share with us?" Mordred asked while chewing on a piece of veal.

"Pardon my boldness, but as someone who hast served at banquets numerous times, I normally would agree that Sir Gawain's appetite is indeed the largest at the round table." He cast a glance at the king. "But seeing how the king has consumed three servings of soup and is now busy with his third serving of the main courses, I think Sir Gawain has just lost in terms of appetite."

They looked at the king. She was eating rather fast and enjoying it all the way. "This is great." She took another serving of food on her plate. Shirou made eye contact with Guinevere. She, as well as Merlin and Lancelot, were rather surprised by how much the king was able to eat.

"I am glad to see that your majesty is enjoying the food."

"Ah, indeed. I must say, I am impressed by your cooking. It seems you claims about cooking were valid." The king nodded in approval.

"Thank you, your highness. I couldn't have made this much food without the help of Everill and the others. They adapted quite fast, and you will surely notice the improvements in their cooking before long."

The meal went on for another twenty minutes or so. Once everyone finished, Arthur stood up to make an announcement.

"I know that we can all agree that tonights feast was exceptionally good. Never had I, or anyone else here, tasted such delicious food. Therefore I want to make a toast to Emiya Shirou, for allowing us to experience such delicacies. And to the cooks and servants for aiding him in creating this feast. Emiya Shirou, you and the others have done marvelous work."

Arthur raised her goblet and everybody else followed her example. "A toast to Shirou and the cooks." This marked the end of the meal, after which everyone started to slowly leave the room.

"The food was delicious, mister Emiya." Guinevere smiled warmly. "I hope you would grace us with more of your cooking in the future."

"Off course, milady. I like cooking a lot, so I don't see any problem."

"I thank you, for accepting. Now, if you would want to excuse me, I will retreat to my chambers. Sir Lancelot, would you escort me to my chambers?" Guinevere offered her arm.

"Of course, milady Guinevere." Lancelot made a bow, and took her hand. "I bid you good night, mister Emiya." Guinevere said before they left.

"As do I. It was a great meal, mister Emiya." Lancelot gave Shirou an approving smile, as he escorted Guinevere.

"Good night to you too." Shirou looked behind him, when somebody suddenly laid a hand on his shoulder. It was Merlin. He was holding the notebook in his other hand.

"Here. I have taken all the information I needed from it, so I am returning it." Merlin handed the book over to Shirou.

"Thank you. I will see you tomorrow for training then."

"Indeed. I thank you for the wonderful food." Merlin patted his stomach and grinned. "I have barely slept last night, so now I will turn in early today. Good night." Merlin suppressed a yawn.

"I also want to remind you of my advise to find someone who could instruct you in the way of the sword, as I know that it will prove extremely valuable in the future."

"Thank you, Merlin." Shirou took the notebook. Merlin smiled and patted him on the shoulder before leaving.

"That was a delicious meal, Shirou. I hope you could do it again sometime." Arturia said.

"The queen asked me the same thing before she left. Of course I will cook again. Perhaps as a farewell, when I return home." Shirou noticed they were alone. "So, king Arturia. What are you going to do for the remainder of the evening?"

Arturia lifted a brow and sighed. "You really are determined to call me that, aren't you? I still have some things to do before I will go to bed. What about you?"

"I think I will take a stroll around the castle. Go outside for some fresh air and then get some sleep."

"Very well. Don't get lost. The castle is rather huge." Arturia turned around and walked to the door. Shirou followed her through and went the other way.

"Good night."

"Good night." Arturia gave a final nod before she disappeared through another door.

While he was walking through the corridor he recalled how during the feast virtually no one talked to her. Shirou was only here for a day, but he got the distinct notion that nobody ever talked to the king unless spoken to, or when they needed to discuss important affairs.

He quickly removed the thought. After all he had only seen her a couple of times. Surely people spoke with her when he wasn't there. Yet for some reason, the suspicion didn't let him go. Shirou shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts.

He went through a door and found himself on the western battlements. The moon and stars were shining brightly. A couple of guards greeted him as they passed by. Shirou found a bench and sat down. He gazed at the stars when somebody suddenly appeared next to him. It was Mordred.

"Good evening Shirou. Gazing at the starts I see." Mordred was once again wearing his horned helmet. "Mind if I joined you."

"Sure, I don't mind." Mordred sat down besides Shirou.

"So, I hear you are going to practice magic with Merlin tomorrow." Mordred shook his head chuckling. "Be sure to prepare yourself. Working with a Magus is not easy, especially if that Magus is Merlin."

"You seem to speak from experience."

"Ay. I was raised by my mother, Morgan le Fay. She is my father's sister and she hates him the most." Mordred explained casually. In the legend of Arthur Morgan was the witch, who was regarded as king Arthur's most hated enemy, Shirou remembered. That was not what surprised him though.

"Wait. Morgan is Arturia's sister?" Shirou blurted out. He knew that Morgan was Arturia's enemy, but the fact that she was also Arturia's sister was new to him.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. My mother put a spell on father so she could obtain some of my father's seed. And Shirou... it is King Arthur, not Arturia."

"No, your 'father' is definitely a girl. Even though nobody seems to recognize that." Shirou couldn't see Mordred's expression, but he guessed he was annoyed at the notion.

"Why do you always wear that helmet?" Shirou tried to change the subject.

"I guess I can tell you that. My mother wanted me to usurp the throne, so she gave me this helmet, telling me never to remove it. Doing so would reveal my heritage."

"But didn't you revealed yourself as Arthur's son? So why keep the helmet on? I would say that your helmet doesn't have any use anymore."

"True. I did not even know that I was Arthur's son myself, until my mother told me. Afterwards, I revealed the truth to my father and he rejected me quite clearly." Shirou noticed how Mordred clenched his fists when he said that. As well as the bitterness and anger that permeated his voice. The event clearly troubled Mordred greatly. Not really a surprising. Being rejected by your own father was nothing to be taken lightly. Shirou couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"But as to why I still wear it. Mostly just the force of habbit. The day will come when I will remove my helmet. Some day ..." Mordred looked at the stars for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "Maybe if you prove that you can be trusted, I might show you my face someday. But enough about that. Let us discuss something else. Do you know what your alignment is? Do you have an Origin?" Shirou could feel Mordred's curious gaze boring into him.

"Uhm ...well I do. My Origin and alignment are both the element 'Sword'."

"Swords, you say? That is rather unusual." Mordred sounded intrigued.

"You seem to know a thing or two about Magic. I take it you learned that from your mother?" Shirou turned himself more toward Mordred.

"Naturally. She thought me thing or two about Magic. Mainly to combat enemy Magi as I have no aptitude for it." Mordred tapped his fingers on the bench. "In any case, you said that your Origin and Alignment was the element S_word_? That is really interesting."

Shirou nodded. "That's why Merlin advised me to learn the way of the sword."

After hearing this, Mordred became a little excited.

"Interesting. What would you say if I offer myself to be your teacher?"

"Wait! You want to train me as a swordsman?" Mordred nodded in confirmation.

Shirou thought about it for a moment before he answered. "Why not? I accept your proposal. I have magic practice with Merlin in the afternoon so how does tomorrow morning sound?."

"Good. That is settled then. I will see you tomorrow after breakfast in the training hall." Mordred said with a joyful tone and clasped his hands together. "Well, Shirou. I think I will turn in for to night." Mordred gave him a firm smack on his back, causing Shirou to cough.

"Yeah,I think I'll go get some sleep too. Good night, Sir Mordred." Shirou replied coughing. Mordred gave a nod and walked away chuckling.

Shirou finally stopped coughing and looked after Mordred. He sure was a feisty one.

Shirou stretched himself and made his way to his chambers.


	8. Chapter 7

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 7: Sword and magic

Shirou woke up when the sun started to rise. He stretched himself out and made his way to the water bowl, where he washed his face. He yawned. "Time to get some breakfast." Shirou put on his clothes and left the room.

"Good morning, mister Emiya. Do you want me to have some breakfast brought up for you?" A servant asked when he saw Shirou.

"No, thanks. I'll be eating in the mess hall today." Servant nodded in acknowledgment and returned to his chores. Not long after leaving his quarters he ran into Arturia.

"Ah, good morning Shirou. I take it you have slept well?" Arturia face was expressionless as always.

"Yes, I have. How about you? Have you slept well?"

"Very well, Shirou. Must have been the food. I have never tasted such delicious food before." A faint smile appeared on her face, but it vanished almost immediately. "The cooks have paid good attention to you yesterday as the food this morning also showed good improvement. Have you eaten already?"

"No, your Majesty. I'm having breakfast in the mess hall. Merlin said I should learn how to wield a sword, so I'm going to the training hall to learn it."

Arturia looked at Shirou with approval. "That is a good idea. Learning how to wield a sword is always a wise decision." She put her hand under her chin. "You will need somebody to train you. Maybe you could ask sir Gawain. He would be more than happy to teach you. Or maybe one of the other knights. Your exploits certainly warrant at least that much."

"Somebody already offered himself to be my teacher last evening."

Arthur raised a brow. "Who is it? One of the knights I presume?"

"Mordred." Shirou confirmed. Arturia was a little surprised when she heard the name.

"Mordred. Hmmm … He is certainly one of the best knights around." She sank into thought. "Anyway, I am going to the throne room. Since it is in the same direction you are going, I will walk with you for a while, if you don't mind."

"Why should I? Besides you are the king. If anything I should be asking for your permission to accompany you," Shirou grinned.

Arturia lead the way. When they approached the throne room, Shirou could hear the sounds of laughter and exited voices, but as soon as they entered all voices simply ceased. Everybody made a bow to the king as she made her way on the throne.

"You may rise your heads." She commanded as she sat herself down. Everybody lifted their heads. Shirou saw several knights among the attendants. Sir Galahad, Gawain and Bedivere amongst others.

"I'll take my leave then." Shirou bowed as he said that. "Have a good day." The king nodded. Those last words drew some glares from the others. Perhaps he had been a little too familiar in public just now, Shirou thought.

Shirou made his way to the mess hall for breakfast. For breakfast he had a couple of slices of bread, cheese, a grilled sausage and some water. Simple but sufficient. Shirou was almost finished when Mordred suddenly showed up and sat beside him. He was carrying a large two-hander. It was finely crafted for sure, but unlike Excalibur, Gawain's Galantine or Lancelot's Arondight, it was just a normal sword.

"Good morning to you. Be sure to eat well. You will be needing the energy." Mordred laughed. Shirou returned the smile. He certainly is not a bad guy. Mordred waited for Shirou to finish his meal.

"So, shall we begin then?"

"Yes, let us begin." Shirou answered enthusiastically. Mordred stood up and gestured Shirou to follow him to the training hall. Shirou was rather curious about Mordred, so he decided to strike a conversation with Mordred.

"So, tell me Sir Mordred. How long have you been a member of the round table?"

Mordred looked at Shirou. "About five years. I arrived at Camelot six years ago. Back then I was completely unknown. I worked hard daily to be a perfect knight and to uphold the ways of chivalry. Thus I earned my place by proving myself to be a knight worthy of sitting at the round table." Mordred's voice dripped with pride, but surprisingly there was also some scorn in it.

"It seems I found myself a good teacher." Shirou declared. "Even the king acknowledged that you were one of the best the round table has to offer."

"Not simply one of the best. I am the man that equals the king in the way of the sword, if not surpassed him." Mordred boasted. That was indeed a very bold statement to say the least. Shirou could practically feel Mordred's confidence radiating from him. Shirou admired his confidence, but it also worried him a bit.

They arrived at the training hall. Mordred led Shirou to a collection of weapon and armor racks that lined the wall. Mordred took a pair of wooden training swords.

"Here take this." Mordred handed him one of the swords. Then he guided him to one of the fighting rings that were not used. "Okay, mister Shirou. Just so you know I will not be going easy on you. First let us see what you know about sword fighting. Take your stance."

Shirou took position in front of Mordred and held his sword in front of his torso. Mordred held his sword loosely in hand. "Okay, mister Shirou. Show me what you got!"

Shirou rushed Mordred and swinged his sword at his torso. Mordred brought his sword up fast and parried Shirou's sword effortlessly which he follow up with a mean blow to Shirou's left arm. It didn't cause any injuries, but it left Shirou with a serious bruise. Mordred wasn't kidding when he said he wouldn't go easy.

"Too slow and too predictable. Don't just charge in blindly. Focus. Try to anticipate your opponent's movements!" Mordred instructed as Shirou regained his stance.

Try to anticipate? Easier said than done. He circled around Mordred, but he didn't even try to follow Shirou. He was just waiting for Shirou to make his move. Shirou attacked Mordred's flank. Mordred merely side stepped the attack and smacked Shirou on his right arm.

"Hmmm. This is no good." Mordred clacked his tongue and thought for a moment. "I think I will first show you some basics. Go back in to your starting posture." Shiro rubbed his arms and retook his stance. Mordred circled around him and pointed Shirou to the faults in his posture, which Shirou quickly corrected.

"Now pay attention. I will demonstrate a simple attack routine." Mordred took some distance from Shirou. He demonstrated a simple routine: strike, strike, block, strike, thrust. "Try it!" Mordred commanded. Shirou tried to repeat the same routine. He did decent as far as he could tell .

"Hmmm, decent enough. Your first strike was too wide. As was your second strike. Try not to exaggerate too much. Otherwise you will leave yourself open for a counterattack." Mordred explained patiently. "Now use what you just learned against me."

Shirou took his stance and attacked. Mordred of course blocked his attacks effortlessly. But before Shirou could execute his thrust, Mordred suddenly charged forward in a relentless shoulder charge knocking Shirou to the ground, skidding several meters backward. "Next lesson, even your body is a weapon." Mordred laughed loudly as he helped Shirou get back up.

"That's gonna leave a mark." Shirou grunted. They continued practicing for a couple or more hours, during which Shirou never landed a hit Mordred.

"Okay. Let us take a break." Mordred said. Shirou was dripping with sweat. "A good first training. Would you not agree?"

"Yes, Mordred-sensei." Shirou replied.

"Sensei?" Mordred asked surprised.

"Teacher, instructor ..." Shirou clarified.

"Here. Have some water." Mordred took two mugs from a nearby shelve and scooped some water from a barrel. He handed Shirou one of the mugs, which Shirou gratefully accepted. He drank it up in one gulp, then he refilled it and went to sit on the bench. Mordred sat beside him, drinking his water with a straw he had procured from somewhere.

"Mind if I ask you something?" Mordred inquired.

"No, not at all."

"I heard talking that you know something about the Holy Grail. Would you mind if I ask you about it?" Shirou sighed. He had heard about the war from Kiritsugu, but he really didn't know all that much about it, so he explained to Mordred the little he knew about it.

"That is very interesting." Mordred said with a low voice. "But enough about that. Let us talk about something else. I would like to hear of your homeland and your era."

Shirou smiled. "Okay, but will you tell me somethings about you in return?"

"Deal." Mordred agreed. Shirou told Mordred about Fuyuki city, his friends and his school. Most of which clearly baffled Mordred. Like how Fuyuki city counted several tens of thousands of inhabitants, or when Shirou told him about cars. During his tale Lancelot had also joined the conversation. He wanted to know more about the traditions and culture of Japan. In return he and Mordred told Shirou about how they joined the Arturia's court, about their journeys and battles. Time passed quickly.

It was noon when Arturia entered the training hall and approached the trio. When Lancelot and Mordred saw her, they abruptly ended their stories. They stood up and bowed when she arrived. Shirou followed suit.

"Good day, Sir Lancelot, Sir Mordred, … Shirou." She eyed the three of them. "How was the training?"

"Tough. But Mordred is a good teacher." Shirou rubbed his arms.

"That is good to hear. I do belief that you are soon to train with Merlin. Perhaps it is best that you eat something before seeing him." At those words Shirou's stomach growled.

"Good idea, your majesty." Shirou put his sword back in the rack. "See you tomorrow then, sir Mordred."

"Until tomorrow, Shirou. Make sure that you are well rested." Mordred shook Shirou's hand and left the hall.

"And if you will excuse me, my king. I have an appointment to attend to." Lancelot bowed to Arturia and left.

"Seems everybody left." Shirou watched as Mordred and Lancelot left.

"Indeed. Would you like to have lunch at my table?" Arturia suggested.

"Of course. Has lunch been prepared already?"

"No, not yet. But that should not take long."

"Would you mind if I cook instead?" At those words Arturia snapped at attention, surprising Shirou.

"No, not at all. I will accompany you for a while, since the kitchen is in the same direction." She made her way in the direction of the kitchen with Shirou quickly following her.

"So what do you do the entire day?" Shirou asked in order to make a conversation. He had a general idea about it, but no specifics. Arturia eyed him with mild surprise.

"Well, most of the time it involves regulating the country. To that end I must write and sign various documents and give approval for various actions proposed by other high ranking officials. I must also maintain law and order which requires the management of the army and see to it that criminals get their due punishment. There is also the matter of balancing the kingdoms finances. And from time to time there is the handling of diplomatic relations with other powers. Luckily I have Merlin and sir Kay giving me advice." That is indeed a lot of responsibility. Shirou reckoned he would collapse under such pressure.

"You don't have much time for your self, I take it?"

"Not as much as I would like sometimes. But that is fine with me. As long as the people are safe and happy, I am happy." She said resolute. Her eyes gleaming with determination.

"I can understand that." Arturia looked at him and Shirou thought he saw a smile there for a moment.

"And what about you, Shirou. How do you spend your time?"

"Well, during the school days I attend classes. We learn things like writing, history and math. The teachers also hand out assignments for at home on a regular basis. Then there is the occasional test for which we have to study. I also help with fixing broken equipment at school. Issei is always happy with how it helps cutting costs for our budget. Luckily I can use my magic to analyze the equipment, so I can find out quickly what is wrong with it. Although I have to be careful not to let others notice." Shirou paused for a moment, scratching his head. "I also work part-time after school and during vacations to earn some extra money. The school encourages independency and than there is of course the maintaining of my house. Sakura helps me out with that."

"Interesting. Tell me, Shirou. What exactly is a part-time job? I think I understand the meaning, but it is not entirely clear to me." She was looking inquisitively at Shirou.

"Well, it is a job that you do part time. As in you don't work continually. You work for example a couple hours a day or once every few days. It is useful for those who go to school to earn some extra money or for those with other activities or other part-time jobs."

"I see. You said that you cannot let others know that you are a magus. Why is that?"

Shirou scratched his head. "In my age, magi keep themselves hidden from the world. As far as the public is concerned, magic and the phantasm races are things from fairy tales. The Magi founded the Mage Association with their main goal being to keep magic hidden from the world. To that end, they'll punish anyone that breaks their rules. As long as a Magus doesn't disturb the common people or break any taboos, they are free to do as they please, no matter how despicable their actions are."

"Magi have always been known for their selfish interests." Arturia said with disgust. "It is a shame however that magic is to be kept secret from the people. I think that the world is poorer without it."

They arrived at the kitchen. "I'll be looking forward to your cooking. See you soon." She left Shirou at the kitchen, who watched her for a few moments before entering.

A little while later, Shirou with the help from some servants brought the food to the dinner room. Arturia was reading a book at the table when they entered. She looked up when they entered and put the book away. When the delicious smell of the food entered her nose, she felt elated. The servants left after the table was set.

"Let's dig in." Shirou grinned. "Ittadakimasu." He clasped his hands together and bowed his head. Arturia looked at him curiously.

"Ittadakimasu?" She asked.

"It means I am grateful to receive. It's a bit like saying grace."

"Ah, I see. Ittadakimasu." Arturia did as Shirou did. "Now let us eat." Every time she took a bite, she nodded in approval, clearly enjoying the food to her hearts content. Shirou eyed her as he was eating his own portion. During the meal they talked some more about their daily lives. It was a rather normal conversation, but Shirou found it a good one.

"That was delicious, Shirou." She said contently. "The cooking of my cooks has also improved significantly since yesterday but your cooking is still far superior."

"Thank you, your highness. I'm glad you liked it." Shirou patted his belly satisfied. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead. I will answer your question if possible."

"Well, what I wanted to ask is ..." Shirou changed his mind mid sentence however. "No, never mind."

"Alright then. But now you should leave. I have already taken enough of your time. You will be late for your training with Merlin." Arturia stood up and went back to her book. "It was delicious and the conversation was pleasant as well. We should do this again."

"I'll be happy to indulge you, Arturia." Shirou smiled and headed for the door. He felt happy when she said that. "See you another time."

Shirou made his way to Merlin's tower. He knocked on the door upon arrival.

"Enter." Merlin responded. Shirou went inside. Merlin was busy sorting through some scrolls at the other side of the room. "I will be right with you. Why don't you take a seat over there? I have prepared some materials for you to practice with. We will begin momentarily."

Shirou made his way to a table sporting a variety of ordinary objects. Some candles, knifes, pots and even some armor and weapons. Shirou examined them while Merlin finished his business.

"Oh, Shirou. You might want to know that I have found the location of the portal." Merlin said casually, causing Shirou looked up in surprise. "It is protected by a boundary field, so I will have to go there myself and take it down if we want to reach it. But I am afraid that it will have to wait a couple of days. My duties you see."

Shirou sighed, but he understood. "Guess it can't be helped."

Merlin felt some compassion for Shirou. "I know. But in the mean time ..." Merlin looked at the table. "Let us begin your Magic training. You said to me that you knew only strengthening magic, correct?" Shirou nodded.

"Well then, let us see what you can do. Take one of the objects and try to strengthen it. And remember, you don't need to make a new circuit. Just think of your trigger and activate your circuits."

Shirou took one of the knifes. "Alright. -Trace on." Shirou muttered, letting the imaginary hammer strike the firing pin. He immediately felt the magical energy flow through him. His body felt warm.

"Basic structure...analyze. Composition...analyze." Shirou focused on the knife in his hand.

He had analyzed the knife's structure and composition. Now to reinforce it.

"Basic structure … alter. Composition... reinforce." Shirou poured in his magical energy in it. Afterwards, Shirou opened his eyes and examined the object. He felt a little disappointed when he saw that it had only worked partially.

"Hmm. Looks like it will take some time. Let me see the knife." Shirou silently handed it over. Merlin examined the knife. He took out a piece of wood from somewhere and tried the knife on it. Frowning he laid the knife aside. "Keep trying until you succeed. I will be back soon. There is something minor the king wants to discuss with me. I reckon that Kay has been voicing his complaints about me again. Ohh, and don't touch anything else than what is on this table." Merlin warned as he left, but his eyes had only reflected mischievous hope.

Shirou sighed heavily and tried again. The next hour he did nothing else then reinforce the items. Most simply fell apart and some weren't changed at all or only partially. But he did manage to reinforce some of them, including the sword, successfully. The last item, a knife, shattered and Shirou was left with no more items to reinforce. Merlin returned just after Shirou finished, who couldn't help but sigh when he saw that most items were destroyed.

"Looks like you failed most of the time." He shook his head. "I feared as much. Your circuits are few and of inferior quality. Not to mention that you never had received proper training until now." He walked over to the table and examined the items. He smiled weakly when he found some items that were successfully changed. "There is something I want to ask you."

"Go ahead." Shirou drank some water.

"Was there really not something else which you could do with magic?" Merlin looked at Shirou questioningly.

"Yeah, there is. I'm able to do some projection. However, all those objects were always hollow on the inside. Besides projection is considered vanity, is it not?" Shirou sat himself down.

"Well, it is. Projection is usually only good for creating an item which is only needed temporary." Merlin pondered for a moment. "Could you demonstrate it for me? Anything would do."

Shirou stared at Merlin for a moment before answering. "Alright. Trace on." He brought up the image of a knife in his head and focused on it. Shirou projected a knife similar as those he used for reinforcement practice. When he was done, surprise showed on his face. This knife had more weight then he expected it to have. It was still mostly hollow, though.

"Here." He handed it to Merlin and he examined it quite extensively. "This is the first time I succeeded this well with projection." Merlin was still analyzing the knife. As time passed a look of intense interest and curiosity appeared on his face.

"Lad. I am going to study this for a while. You are free to leave, but I will have some stuff delivered to your quarters for further practice. Call me if you need any help." Shirou looked at Merlin dumbfounded. He never expected his first lesson in magic to be this short.

"Well uhh...Ok. I'll go explore the castle a bit then." Shirou left the tower as Merlin went to his work corner and began to examine the knife thoroughly. What did Merlin knew that he didn't?

Shirou walked down the hall way, when he encountered Arturia and Bedivere.

"Good afternoon your highness,... sir Bedivere." Shirou waved.

"Shirou!? I thought you would still be training with Merlin. Did something happen?" They both looked at Shirou inquiringly. Shirou told them of what had transpired.

"I see. Merlin normally does not interrupt something without good reason. He will inform us of the reason in due time no doubt. So, what will you do for the rest of the day?"

Shirou thought a bit for a while, then an idea popped up. "I haven't much to do actually. But can I ask to accompany you for a while?"

"Why?" She asked surprised. Bedivere lifted his eyebrows.

"Well, I would like to see how the king spends his day, and maybe strike a conversation or two. I'll not be staying here for long, so I thought I could get to know you guys a bit better. If you don't mind of course" Shirou smiled.

"Hmmm. I don't know. There will not be much for you to see and I am almost done for the day, which is rare." She pondered for a moment.

"How about I'll cook for you again tonight in exchange?" This dragged her over the line. The way she reacted at Shirou's proposal surprised even Bedivere.

"Alright then. You may accompany us." Shirou snapped out of himself been dumbstruck.

"So, mister Shirou. How was your training with sir Mordred, if I may ask?" Bedivere inquired curiously, but polite as ever. "I heard it was quite rough."

Shirou rubbed his arms. "Indeed, it was. It has definitely left some bruises, but nothing to serious. He sure is a strict teacher."

"I believe you." Bedivere agreed. "Mordred is a fine warrior, although he keeps to himself a bit much, I say."

Shirou followed Bedivere and Arturia for the rest of the day. Although nothing noteworthy happened. The king just needed to do some minor business. Afterwards she spent her time walking through the castle and relaxing in the garden. They talked some among the three of them, until the evening.

After which Shirou went to the kitchen to cook supper. Everill felt a bit jealous of the fact that Shirou was cooking for the king personally. In fact, most if not all of the people in the kitchen were either jealous or annoyed. But Shirou didn't bothered himself with it for long. Guinevere, Bedivere and Kay would be joining this evening.

"You truly are a fine cook, Shirou." Arturia sighed in satisfaction. Shirou couldn't help but notice how all the attendants were surprised by her appetite. The amount of food she ate would have been enough to satisfy two full grown men.

"Indeed it was, mister Shirou." Kay agreed. "The quality of the meals made by the cooks has also improved since you visited the kitchens." Everybody else agreed with his statement.

"Is there some more, Shirou?" Arturia asked. Everything on the table had already been eaten, but she was still hungry."

"Well, I think there is still some left. I'll go fetch it. Be right back." He stood up and left. The door closed behind him, but not completely.

"You certainly love his cooking, my dear." Guinevere said laughing. "Never have I seen someone with such a small frame eating so much." She took a sip of whine.

"I know. I am still to indulgent." The king gritted her teeth, as if realizing a fatal mistake. "This is bad indeed. His cooking is simply to good." Everybody stared at the king in wonder. Then Guinevere, Kay and Bedivere noticed Shirou, who had returned seemingly to ask something. Since Arturia had sunken into thought, she didn't notice him. Shirou looked a little taken-a-back. "At this rate, should he leave, the absence of his cooking will certainly affect my will to fight."

The others exchanged glances in surprise. Bedivere glanced at Shirou, who silently retreated.

"If you would excuse me, my king." Bedivere left the table after receiving the king's approval. He quickly caught up to Shirou in the corridor. "It seems the king has taken quite the liking of your cooking."

"Indeed. Maybe I should ease up a bit on my cooking. At this rate she'll end up keeping me here as her personal cook." Bedivere laughed and patted Shirou on his back.

"I have never seen the king like this before, mister Shirou. You should watch your back, because that might just happen." He grinned, but Shirou wasn't sure about how to answer.

The rest of the evening was uneventful and everybody returned to their chambers afterwards. When Shirou arrived at his chambers, he found some boxes and bags with various objects. Merlin did said he would send practice material to his room.

Shirou didn't mind and decided to practice a little more, since he had done it for nearly eight years. He went to sit by the window and gazed at the stars. Life here wasn't so bad, but he really should be returning home. The others at home were no doubt worried about him.


	9. Chapter 8

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 8: Brave, but foolish

The next three days went by quickly. Shirou trained with Mordred in the morning and practiced reinforcement in the afternoon. He talked with the other knights and told them more of his time and homeland. Mordred in particular was extremely interested, often asking loads of questions. Shirou was allowed to use the kitchen as he pleased, which he happily accepted. He was happy he could use the kitchen and even cooked a couple of times for the king and her knights as well. Working in the kitchen he also bonded with Everill, who was eager to learn more about cooking from Shirou. In return he offered Shirou the best ingredients one could find and telling him some funny anecdotes.

Shirou sat on a bench, sweaty and bruised. Mordred is a firm teacher who didn't shy away from hitting his student. Even so, Shirou thought Mordred as a pleasant person, but he should seriously cut back on his boasting. Really there should be a limit to everything.

"Good work, Shirou." Mordred handed Shirou some water, which he accepted gratefully. "You have improved some, but you have still a long way to go. Though I commend you for the strength in your strikes. They are focused and intense, but also very easy to predict."

"Thank you." Shirou swiped the sweat from his brow. "Say, Mordred. How come you aren't as tired as me? I mean, I know I have decent stamina, but you are still wearing that armor. Doesn't it tire you?"

Mordred drank from his mug through a reed. "Your stamina is indeed good, Shirou. But to answer your question, I have worn this armor for years. One merely becomes accustomed to it. Wear it long enough and you will hardly notice it anymore." Mordred looked at the sky and sighed. "Tell me, Shirou. Don't you have anymore lessons from Merlin in the afternoon anymore?"

"No, I don't." After his second lesson with Merlin, he hadn't even seen him anymore. "Why?"

"Well, you haven't been out of the castle, have you not?" Shirou nodded in confirmation. "Would you like to observe the village life? A change of pace, so to say."

That sounded interesting to Shirou. Observing how people lived in the sixth century.

"Sure. That would be nice."

"Alright then. I will see you after lunch. Meet me at the stables." Mordred smacked him on the back and gave a chuckle. "Later then." He stood up and walked away.

"Yes. Until later." Shirou stood up and went to his chambers to took a bath. Training this intensive with Mordred made it necessary. As Shirou left his chambers refreshed, he bumped into Arturia.

"Oh Shirou. I did not think I would run into you." Arturia normally wore armor, but today she wore a beautiful, noble-blue tunic embroiled with a red dragon on the chest. Shirou reckoned that she must has wrapped cloth around her chest in order to flatten it, or something like that.

"I have just taken a bath. It was really enjoyable." Shirou responded.

"Ah, I see. I have never enjoyed taking a bath. Mainly because of that reason." Shirou understood what she meant.

Shirou smiled, which prompted her to tilt her head in wonder. "Is there something that amuses you?"

"Ah, no nothing in particular, Arturia. I just felt like it." A thought appeared in his head. "Say, Arturia. Have you anything to do this afternoon?"

"Nothing, which is rather unusual. Why?" She asked curiously.

"Mordred invited me to visit the village with him, so I thought if maybe you could join us." He smiled at her hopefully as she went into thought. "You could encourage the people with your presence at the same time. Like give them a boost to their morale by gracing them with your presence and such." She looked at him questioningly.

"Hmmm, if you put it like that. May I suggest that we take the opportunity to do some falconry? I haven't done that in quite a while." She had made up her mind, even though she found Shirou's argument rather weak. "You should inform Mordred about this first though. I may be king, but it would still be rude to intrude uninvited."

"It would have been rude indeed. A king should lead by example after all" Shirou added. Arturia was pleasantly surprised by what Shirou said.

"True enough. A king should indeed." Arturia said proudly.

"He is often found at the stables, the garden or the training area." She said as she started to leave. "Now, if you will excuse me. I have something to discuss with Sir Kay concerning our finances." Shirou started to look for Mordred. On his search for Mordred, Shirou heard some loud voices in the distance. When he went to inspect what, he encountered Gawain and Bedivere whom were engaged in a rather heated discussion.

"How dare they! That is something that falls within their duties as nobles. How dare they to burden the king with such matters!?" Bedivere's voice was full of anger.

"I agree. This is happening more and more often. Do they really intend to push all the problems onto his highness?" Gawain sounded more collected, albeit still angry. "This is bad. If the king ..." Gawain suddenly fell silent when he noticed Shirou. "It is not a good habit to eavesdrop, Shirou."

"One doesn't need to eavesdrop when you are yelling so loudly. I could hear you all the way back there." Shirou remarked casually.

"True enough." Bedivere sighed heavily. His expression turned a bit too self-berating.

"So what was that about somebody pushing problems onto the king?" Shirou asked a little nervous. "Can I help with something?"

"You offer is appreciated, but I don't think there is anything you could do." Bedivere smiled sadly before turning to Gawain. "Sir Gawain, I suggest we discuss this matter further at a different time."

"Agreed." Gawain crossed his arms. "Mister Shirou. I would like you to keep what you heard to yourself. This is not something that should be discussed in public."

Shirou nodded in agreement. "But why would they do such a thing. I mean … She brought peace to the country didn't she. So why?" Shirou felt like he had to ask. Gawain and Bedivere frowned at his question, or was it because Shirou referred to the king as 'she' again?

"Normally we would not tell this to a stranger, but I feel that you are trustworthy." Bedivere's eyes pierced into Shirou's. Shirou nodded firmly. "Truth to be told, there are many people who are growing increasingly more dissatisfied with the king recently. Especially among the knights and the nobility. The dissatisfaction has grown more considerably, specifically after the incident with Mordred a couple of months ago."

Shirou listened attentively. What he heard made him angry which showed on his face. "But why? She did so much for the people."

Gawain nodded in agreement. "I understand how you feel. It angers me too. King Arthur is the perfect king and as his knight I wish for his highness to reach even greater heights. To that end I shall stand by his side forever." Gawain's expression turned to one of pure admiration, one could even say blind admiration . "If the king has one flaw, than it is ... No, never mind. I should not have said that."

Shirou stared at Gawain, unsure of what to say. Bedivere had listened to Gawain with a mixture of joy and sadness. "I can relate to Sir Gawain, for I too wish for … the king's wellbeing."

"Well, what would one expect from the king's most loyal knights. The perfect honor student and the head of the king's guard." A low voice sounded from behind them. Shirou turned to face the origin of the voice. There stood a knight and someone who seemed to be a nobleman. Gawain's and Bedivere's faces soured. The knight wore an armor similar to that of Bedivere, except that it was completely black. He was of middle age, with pitch black hair, a somewhat pale complexion. His sharp features and cold eyes gave him an enervating appearance. The nobleman was of at least ten years older and balding.

"Sir Agravain. My lord, Hairud." Gawain and Bedivere greeted with forced politeness. The nobleman returned the greeting.

"These two adore the king too much, so their view is rather one sided." Agravain looked at Gawain and Bedivere, as if scrutinizing them. "But to answer your question, boy. It is the king's own fault."

"How so?" Shirou asked.

"Well, because the king doesn't understand how others feel. He cannot understand the hearts of his people, that is why." Gawain looked at Agravain in controlled anger. Bedivere gritted his teeth and averted his eyes. As if he was acknowledging a bitter truth. "How can one rule over others, if one cannot understand their subjects hearts? The king does not understands the hearts of others, and as a king that is a fatal flaw." Shirou saw Hairud nodding his head firmly in agreement.

"Now that you mention it." Shirou had wondered about this for a while now. "I've noticed this for a while now, but I didn't thought much of it because I don't spend much time with her or know her that long for that matter. Is that also the reason why I never see much people talk to her?" Agravain and Hairud lifted their eyebrows.

"You've noticed that surprisingly fast." Hairud smirked. Gawain and Bedivere merely followed the conversation silently. "The truth is nobody speaks to the king unless spoken to, or if one has something urgent to say. Even at the round table, all fall silent when the king appears. One reason people avoid talking to his highness, is because he never shows emotions. The king has not showed emotion or acted on his emotions, not even once since he ascended the throne."

"Sir Agravain. Those nay sayers simply do not realize how blessed we are with him as king. No other could have ruled in such a magnificent and just manner." Gawain retorted. "And you lord Hairud. How dare you push your problems onto the king! Problems that are your responsibility." With Gawain's anger drawing in all the attention at the moment, nobody realized that Agravain seemed to agree.

"The king is responsible for all of the kingdom. Thus my problems are his problems." Lord Hairud argued with a sly smile.

This revelation boggled Shirou's mind. He recalls how the king never shows emotions, or at least not often. "I take it everybody is aware of the king's mistake?" He muttered.

"It is hard not to notice. Well, I hope this answered your question. Now if you would excuse us." Agravain and Hairud started to leave, when Hairud suddenly halted.

"Before we leave, I must say lad. You are very dense for you still keep referring to the king as a she. Everybody knows the king is a man. Not that I care, though." He grinned at Shirou. Shirou was staring at his feet in frustration of what he just heard.

"No. You all are simply to dense to recognize the truth." Shirou grumbled. For a moment they all stared at Shirou, forgetting the conversation they just had. Their faces expressed either exasperation or surprise at Shirou's apparent stubbornness and accusation. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to see Mordred."

Shirou walked a few paces and stopped, because he realized something. And even though he has no way to prove it, he felt in his heart that it was true. "I just realized something."

"And that would be ..." Agravain asked . Gawain, Bedivere, Agravain and Haruid looked at Shirou as he waited a moment.

"After hearing that, I realize how stupid is for the king to make such a mistake and not noticing it. And it pisses me of." Gawain frowned at those words. Bedivere closed his eyes in silent lament. Agravain and Haruid merely stared at him unblinking, then they started to leave when Shirou continued.

"But you know. You people, no not just you. But everybody in this kingdom, from the peasants to the nobility and the knights, piss me of of a thousand times more." Shirou raised his voice. Some servants came to investigate the commotion. Gawain, Bedivere, Agravain and Haruid stared at Shirou dumbfounded. They were completely baffled at Shirou's last outburst.

"I'm going to see Mordred. You guys go about your business." Shirou walked away, leaving the four men behind. What are they thinking? The people , the knights, the nobility… what was she thinking? Shirou started to run. Several servants were startled as he sped by. But Shirou didn't care, he needed to blow of some steam now. By the time he reached the training area, he had calmed down somewhat. Some of the soldiers stared at him as he arrived tired and panting.

After catching his breath, Shirou started to look for Mordred. He asked some of the soldiers. They said Mordred had gone to the armory, so Shirou asked for directions.

The armory consisted of several rooms. They were packed with various racks, sporting everything from armor and swords to halberds and longbows. Eventually he found Mordred. He was standing at the end of a narrow corridor in front of a steel, grate door. Shirou walked up to him, but Mordred didn't pay attention. He was staring through the grate door. Shirou looked over his shoulder.

Behind the grate door was another part of the armory. But the weapons in there were a lot more precious. This room was obviously reserved for special weapons and armor. Shirou saw a beautiful engraved spear, a brilliantly decorated dagger and various other precious items. But the one weapon that drew his attention the most was the one Mordred was staring at. It was a large two hander, but it seemed to be made of silver. No, one could say it was more dazzling than any silver. It was beautiful.

"Clarent." Mordred said suddenly.

"Clarent?" Shirou asked to which Mordred nodded.

"Caliburn's sister sword. The sword of peace." He continued. Shirou tried to recall. Caliburn was the sword from the stone. According to the legend it shattered when Arthur fought a duel that went against Chivalry.

"It is beautiful, but Mordred can I speak with you for a moment?" Mordred faced Shirou.

"Sure. Let us go outside. It's rather cramped in here." They went to the courtyard. "What is it you that want to discuss?"

"Well, I met Arturia a while ago and ..."

"Let me guess, you asked if he could join us?" Mordred sounded annoyed.

"I'm sorry. Anyway, she agreed to join us. She also suggested to do some falconry while we were at it." Mordred shook his head.

"Very well. But may I ask why you asked him to join us?" Mordred was definitely annoyed.

"Can I ask you something before I answer that?" Mordred sighed. Shirou took that as a yes. "Why didn't anyone ever tell her, … him?"

"Tell him what?" Mordred asked confused.

"Tell the king that suppressing her emotions is a mistake. That she should try to understand others more." Mordred fell silent for a moment.

"It is not our place to judge him. If that is his choice, than so be it." Mordred's voice was permeated by very dubious tone. Shirou couldn't tell if it was adoration or scorn. Maybe it was both. He started to belief that Mordred had mixed feelings about his father. "Tell his highness I give my consent."

"Thank you. Next time it will just be the two of us. I promise." Shirou shook Mordred's hand, which surprised him a little. Shirou went to inform the king. They met at the stables after dinner. Mordred and Shirou were waiting at stables when the king arrived.

Arturia was still wearing the dragon embroiled tunic. But this time she also donned a golden sword on her hip with a matching golden scabbard. Mordred made a bow when the king walked up to them.

"My king. I hope you will experience a pleasant time in our company." Mordred obviously tried hard to mask his displeasure, but to no avail.

"Raise your head, Mordred. It is I who must thank you for allowing me to join this outing. I know you are displeased by my intrusion." Mordred raised his head and looked Arturia in the eye. "There for, I invite you to join me to participate in falconry. If you wish."

"It would be my pleasure." Mordred answered. He tried to sound grateful, but a hint of annoyance slipped in. "I have ordered the stable hands to fetch the horses. Oh, that reminds me. Shirou, do you know how to ride a horse?"

Shirou hadn't thought about that. "Unfortunately no. In fact, until I arrived here I have never even seen a horse before."

Mordred and Arturia looked at him with surprise. "That should not be a problem though. We have some excellent trained horses in our stables. I will have one of the stable hands fetch one." Mordred said.

"Excellent, sir Mordred. But that certainly was a surprise." Arturia commented. "You said that you have never seen a horse before. Are there no horses in your country? Do they use other animals as mounts?"

"We do have horses in my country, only none in my hometown." Shirou explained. "And besides don't forget that I am from the future. In my time the horse and cart have been replaced by a mechanical substitute." Mordred and Arturia were listening with interest. "I'll tell you another time, if you don't mind."

"Understood. You have piqued my interest, so I expect you to tell me in detail." said Arturia. After their horses were brought they left for the village. The horse Shirou was riding on was a bit older, but highly trained. Shirou had almost no trouble riding it.

Shirou, Mordred and Arturia rode out on horseback to the village, or rather town. He thought it to big to be a village. The villagers bowed as the king passed. Shirou looked around as the people went on with their everyday lives. Shirou saw the baker working hard on his bread, the smithy hammering away on hot iron and the weaver putting the final touches on a tunic. Children were running around without a care in the world. Some of them came to look at the king and Mordred, but more so to look at the stranger from a distant land.

"Well, Shirou. What do you think of the village life?" Mordred asked.

"It sure is lively. These people live simple lives, but they are contend with it. A simple but good life, but also a lot harsher in many ways then in my time." Shirou looked around inquisitively. The atmosphere in the village seems so busy, yet somehow relaxing. It brought a smile on his face.

"Indeed it is." Mordred said absentmindedly, as if he was in thought.

"But I must say, the cleanliness leaves much to be desired. Especially in regards of waste." Shirou commented. It was the only real issue he had. The village was quite nice, but god, the smell.

Arturia sighed. "It can not be helped. We don't have a real solution for this problem."

"In my time we have something called sewers. A network for tunnels and pipes used for disposing waste materials." Shirou told.

"That is quite a novelty you have in your time. But for us it isn't really plausible." Mordred commented rather smug.

"Well, it really is a quite old idea, though." Arturia and Mordred stared at him. "I know that the Romans used it centuries ago."

"I see. It once again proves how much of their knowledge has been lost." Arturia lamented. They spent some time exploring the village and its surroundings, until Bedivere and Kay arrived. Behind them rode a couple of squires who carried the equipment and the falcons with them.

"Good day, my king." Kay and Bedivere greeted the king in unison. "We hast brought the falcons at your request."

"Ah, good." Arturia faced Shirou and Mordred. "Shall we go off to hunt then?"

"Lead the way, your highness." Shirou was a bit excited. They rode about an hour through a dense forest to reach the chosen hunting ground. It was a large open plain. The afternoon sun shined gold across the long grasses. Once there they dismounted, the hunt began. Arturia let the first falcon loose. They gazed at the bird as it ascended into the sky.

"Would you like to try it?" Arturia asked Shirou.

"Can I? I mean, I would like to, but maybe Mordred would like to go first. After all, you invited him in compensation for intruding on his invitation." Shirou looked at Mordred, who met his gaze.

"Hmmm, true enough. What do you say, sir Mordred?" Arturia looked at Mordred.

"Perhaps, later. Since Shirou will be returning home at one point, he should use the opportunity to experience some falconry." Said Mordred. He tried to be nonchalant, but it was obvious that he was bored by it all.

"A sound argument." Bedivere chipped in, ignoring Mordred's tone. Arturia and Kay nodded in response.

"Very well. Squire, please hand Shirou the falcon." The squire walked over to Shirou.

"Here, mister Shirou. Please use this to protect your arm against the claws." The squire handed Shirou a leather glove that covered his entire lower arm. Shirou put it on. "Alright then. Please stick your arm out."

Shirou did as he was told. The squire held his arm close to Shirou's and nudged the falcon to move to Shirou's arm. The squire took some distance from Shirou.

"Now then, Shirou. When you want to release him, you just remove the cap from it's head and stretch out your arm in the air, like I did ." Arturia instructed. Shirou did as he was told. The falcon eyed Shirou for a moment before it took flight. Shirou thought the experience was kinda cool.

"Now we wait for the falcons to catch some prey." Arturia explained as the squires took out some mugs and filled them with wine. Soon everybody, except Mordred and Shirou, were having a sip of wine. "Are you not having any wine, Shirou?"

"No, thank you. I told you before that I'm not good with alcohol." Shirou reminded them. "How about you, Mordred?"

"Not today. Thanks for the offer." Mordred replied disinterested.

An hour past before one of the falcons suddenly dived to the ground. "Looks, like one has caught prey." Kay remarked as the bird dived to the ground, And indeed it had. The falcon had caught a small rabbit. Not much meat, but it would sure prove to be tasty.

They continued the hunt for several hours, during this time Arturia decided to take a little stroll while the others continued with the hunt. She walked across the plains to the top of a small hill. There she stopped and gazed upon the landscape, seemingly enjoying the suns rays as the evening approached. What was she doing over there? Shirou saw her doing something.

He used strengthening on his eyes so he could see her better. Apparently she was eating something from a small pouch. Upon closer inspection, he saw it were pieces of fruit or something. After eating a small handful she put them back under her tunic.

"So, Shirou." Shirou turned his attention to Kay. "How is your training with Merlin going?" Kay was rather curious about what Merlin was teaching Shirou.

Shirou sighed. He hadn't spoken with Merlin after he showed him his projection. "Not sure. After my second lesson, I haven't seen him even once. He told me to just continue practicing strengthening."

"Odd." Kay mumbled. Bedivere conceded with Kay's assessment. "But Merlin would not do something like that if he did not have a good reason for it."

"If you say so. I would appreciate it if he could explain it to me first." Shirou shook his head in annoyance.

"You better get used to it." Mordred said, waving his hand. "What I have learned from my mother is that the key to dealing with a Magus is to give up." Bedivere, Kay and Shirou looked at Mordred incredulous.

"How are things going with the hunt?" Arturia rejoined the group and the conversation stopped. The hunt continued for another hour or two. In total they caught three rabbits, a rather poor haul.

"Did you enjoy the hunt, Shirou?" The king asked as they rode through the forest on their way back.

"It was pretty exciting handling the bird, but the waiting was a bit tedious. Luckily, there was some good company present." Shirou smiled. All in all it had been a fun experience. "I was thinking of rabbit stew tonight. What do you guys think?"

"Please do." Arturia promptly replied.

"Looks like the king has decided. Rabbit stew it is then." Kay commented grinning. Everybody had noticed that these past few days the king got very eager when it came to Shirou's cooking.

Suddenly Arturia stopped as her instincts were warning her of danger lying ahead. "Everybody, be on your guard. I sense danger ahead." She drew her sword and the others followed suit. Their faces were tensed as they now too sensed the danger.

"Attack!" A voice yelled. A moment later, bandits appeared all around them. A group of roughly forty men suddenly sprang from the bushes. Shirou could hear Kay swear.

"Drive them back!" Arturia yelled. Shirou could see one of the squires fall after been stabbed by a spear. The king and her knights drew their swords and faced the enemy. The fact that they were on horseback was an advantage.

"What are bandits doing this close to Camelot!?" Bedivere shouted. His face showing only disbelief, although it did not dull his mind as he executed a lightning fast riposte on the first bandit. The bandit was dead before he hit the ground. Shirou could barely follow Bedivere's strike.

"That is what I would like to know!" Mordred yelled enraged as he cleaved two opponents in half with a single swing of his two-hander. The fact that they were wearing armor made it even more impressive. Shirou gasped at the sight. Unlike the others who's fighting style was elegant, Mordred's way of fighting was simply savage. His strikes could barely be called technique, but they were powerful and very accurate. It was nothing like what Mordred had thought him before. It was a brutal way of fighting meant only for killing.

Suddenly one of the bandits jabbed a spear at him, which caused the horse to rear up. Shirou fell on the ground and immediately got surrounded by three bandits. Each and everyone of them were armed to the teeth. Shirou was cornered and unarmed.

One of them started to charge him, his sword trusting forward to impale him. The other two approaching him from the sides in a pincer attack. He was going to die. No! He still hadn't achieved his goal of becoming a hero of justice. Dying here would be meaningless. He recalled his last conversation with Kiritsugu.

_When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a hero of justice._

_What do you mean, dreamed? Did you give up?_

_Yes, unfortunately. Being a Hero is a limited-time thing. When you grow older, it becomes difficult to call yourself one. I wish I hadn't taken so long in realizing that._

_I see. Then it can't be helped._

_Yes, I can't._

_Yeah. Since you can't, I'll become one for you._

"Trace on." Shirou activated his circuits. Streams of energy like lightning whirled around him and started to condense in his hand. In a bright flash a sword formed in his hand. The bandits jumped back in surprise. His arms trembled and felt like his arms were on fire.

"He is the Magus. This the one we need. Capture him!" One of them shouted. They recovered from the shock and resumed their attack. The first attack came fast, but Shirou managed to block it, as he did with the second and the third. However the sword shattered at the fourth attack. But Shirou didn't give up. He promptly recreated the sword and this time he attacked. The burning sensation started to spread across his body.

He hadn't been training for long, but it was certainly paying off. But the pain in his body made fighting more difficult. It is fortunate that compared to Mordred, these guys were plain slow. He even managed to injure one of them on the arm. His success was short-lived however as suddenly one of the bandits rushed in with his shield and bashed Shirou to the ground. The bandit brought down his sword, not with the blade but with the pommel, aiming to knock him out. But it was repelled as Arturia suddenly appeared.

"Foul wretches. I will have you taste my blade!" She shouted. "Shirou, fall back to the others." The bandits charged her, but she deftly parried and dodged their attacks, all the while delivering devastating attacks of herself. The bandits died within a heartbeat. Then Arturia launched herself between four bandits and literally smashed them aside with a mighty blow, belying her small physique. Arturia didn't notice the heavily armored bandit sneaking up from behind the trees.

The bandit waited for her to get closer. He attacked with his large cleaver-like sword when she got close enough. Arturia had sensed the man approach and had already turned to face him, but suddenly Shirou stood between her and the bandit. Shirou shielded her and the cleaver cut him along the chest. He fell to the ground.

Shirou's sudden intervention had surprised the bandit, causing his attack to mis his mark. It took a moment for the bandit to grasp what just had happened. Long enough for Arturia to attack. The bandit needed all his strength to block the attack. His cleaver was shattered and he was thrown backwards. He made a skilled back-flip and regained his footing.

"Cowards. I will have you executed for this." Arturia glared at the bandit. The bandit looked around, seeing that all all except of two his men were were defeated.

"Retreat!" He shouted and he ran into the forest with his comrades. He was in luck however, as Arturia and the knights were devoting their attention to their wounded.

Kay and the other squire were tending to the wounded squire. Arturia was sitting at Shirou's side as Bedivere tended to his wound. He had removed his tunic and was currently cleaning his wound.

"He is brave, I have to admit that. But reckless. I am amazed that he is still alive" Bedivere sighed in relieve as he saw that Shirou was recovering. He marveled at how fast the wound was healing. Gawain had told them how fast Shirou had recovered from the wound he received, while shielding him. But this was much faster then in Gawain's recollection from that event.

"He must not have been aware that as long as I carry Avalon, I cannot be killed." She said worried. "Seeing that he has a way to heal himself makes me feel at ease."

"There are no more bandits in the area." Mordred had returned. After the attack he went to scout the area to make sure of it. "How is he doing?"

"Surprisingly well. His wounds are healing incredibly fast." Bedivere said with disbelief. "Gawain told us that he healed fast, but this is amazing." They looked as Shirou's wound slowly closed. At this rate he would recover within the hour.

"Amazing. He is healing incredibly fast indeed." Mordred whistled.

Kay walked up to them. He looked relieved. "The squire's wounds are not life threatening, but we should get him to a surgeon as fast as possible. How is Shirou doing?"

"He is recovering fast, thanks to his healing ability." The moment the king said that, they heard Shirou moan as he had regained consciousness. "Shirou! It is good that you have awoken. How do you feel?"

"I've felt better." He groaned. "Looks like you're unharmed. That's good." He said with a smile when he saw Arturia.

"Really. That was reckless of you." Kay sighed with a smiling, yet worried face. "Regardless, you have my gratitude for protecting the king. Even though it was unnecessary."

"That man was about to strike her from behind and she wasn't wearing armor." Shirou complained. He tried to sit up, but Arturia stopped him.

"Listen, Shirou. It is true that I did not wear any armor, but as long as I carry Avalon I can not be injured." Shirou looked at her in surprise. "Now rest. Your wounds will be healed shortly. Then we will ride back to Camelot."

Shirou did as he was told and true enough, he was completely healed within less then an hour. They soon resumed their way to Camelot. Bedivere, Kay, and Mordred were ridding at the back with the squires, while Arturia and Shirou were ridding a small distance to the front.

"He sure is brave." Kay affirmed. "He would surely be a fine knight, would you not agree?"

"Perhaps. But I am a bit concerned over how easily he risked his life." Bedivere pondered. "He may not have been aware of Avalon, but still ..."

"That is something to consider. I am happy that he was able to defend himself. Those bandits wast surprisingly skilled, but Shirou managed to defend himself to some extent." Mordred sounded happy, but there was also some annoyance mixed in his voice for some reason. "Did you see how he projected that sword. That was a mighty interesting show of projection magic."

"That is called 'projecting'?" Bedivere asked, lifting his eyebrows in surprise at Mordred's words.

"Ay. It is a rather unusual skill, but not many Magi use it. It is usually used when a Magus is in temporary need for an object that is not at hand, since a projected object always disappears after a while." Mordred explained.

"I would call being able to create a sword from thin air, rather useful in battle, I say." Bedivere remarked. "You are rather knowledgeable about the subject."

"Well, if you consider who raised me..." Bedivere and Kay stared at Mordred with an expression of understanding as they recalled who had raised Mordred.

"What are your thoughts about the matter, sir Kay?" Bedivere asked. Kay was frowning, and went into deep thought for a while.

"What my thoughts are?" He sighed deeply. "I am not sure. Please excuse me." Kay rode ahead towards Shirou and the king. Bedivere looked at Mordred in wonder. Mordred lifted his shoulders, equally clueless.

"King Arthur, Shirou." Kay rode beside Shirou.

"Ah, sir Kay. Is there something you need?" Arturia asked.

"I wanted to talk to Shirou for a bit if you don't mind." Shirou and Arturia looked at each other for a moment.

"Sure thing. What do you want to talk about?" Shirou looked Kay in the eyes.

"Well, first of all. I wanted to thank you again for protecting the king. Not as a knight, but as her brother. Thank you for protecting my sister." Kay bowed to Shirou, which made him blush.

"Ehhh, you're welcome." Shirou averted his gaze, slightly embarrassed.

"Sir Kay, I don't mind you thanking him, but must I remind you not to refer to me like that out in the open. I am still the king." Arturia looked back, in order to check if the others hadn't heard. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks.

"I know dear sister. Please forgive me." Kay smiled brightly. "It is only proper for a knight to thank the man who protected his little sister. Would you not agree, my king?" Arturia sighed in silent consent, albeit a little annoyed. "But I must say, Shirou, you were rather quick to throw yourself in front of her. I would even go as far to say as plain reckless." Kay showed clear concern for Shirou's wellbeing.

"My father always said that a real man shouldn't allow girls to get hurt. I don't need a reason to save a girl." Shirou replied slightly embarrassed, but resolute. This made Kay laugh.

"Well said." Kay laughed. "But as her brother I will tell thee that you don't need to worry about her."

"I thank you, Sir Kay. Let me give you some advice, Shirou. You should worry about protecting others after you hast learned to fight yourself." Arturia's expression turned stubborn. "Don't get me wrong Shirou. I am grateful, but I must confess that your action was bothersome. I have told you before, my gender is a trivial matter. Don't treat me, a warrior, as a woman."

Shirou looked away with a stubborn expression. "No I won't. I won't deny that you are a strong fighter, but you're still a girl. So don't get worked up about it. Besides, my dad thought me that girls shouldn't be fighting. And I agree with that. If necessary, I will do the fighting for you." This surprised both Arturia and Kay.

"You are being conceited, Shirou. You could barely defend your self from those bandits. How are you expecting to defend me like that. Are you trying to insult me?" Arturia glared at him in disbelief and frustration. Shirou returned the glare.

Kay was looking from Shirou to Arturia and back again. He looked like a big brother whose younger siblings were arguing over who was right. They didn't speak for the rest of the trip. It was almost dark when they arrived at Camelot. However ...

"What is happening in the village?" Bedivere suddenly said. Smoke was rising from the village and the orange glow of fire shone bright in the twilight.

"Looks like a fire has broken out in the village. Let us hurry." Arturia drove her horse into a sprint towards the village with the others hot on her heels. Shirou used strengthening on his eyes again. A large building was on fire. He could make out several villagers, soldiers and even some knights trying to put out the fire. It appeared that Lancelot and Gawain were directing the fire fighting effort.

"It's the large building in the center of the village. Lancelot and Gawain are leading the fire fighters." Shirou notified the king.

"That must be the inn." Mordred said. They arrived at the village a little later. It seems the fire hadn't been going for that long, but it had almost consumed the place completely. "First an ambush, now a fire. It is a busy day indeed.?"

"My king." Lancelot greeted the king on arrival.

"Has the inn been evacuated completely?" She urgently asked Lancelot.

"We are not sure. We believe that most of the occupants managed to evacuate. If anybody is still in there, they are surely dead by now. We have been giving it our all, but it seems the inn is lost. " Lancelot reported. The king looked at the inn. She could only agree with Lancelot's assessment. Shirou was watching from a distance, when he saw a woman desperately trying to reach the inn, but she was held back by two men. Shirou went over to investigate.

"Please, let me through!" She yelled as she desperately struggled to get passed the two men holding her back.

"What is wrong over here?" He asked.

"Please, you must help me! My daughter is still in there! We were staying at the inn. I ran out as soon as the fire broke out, but I lost my daughter along the way. I am afraid that she is still is inside!"

"Do you have an idea where she might be?"

"Our room was on the second floor, the second door on the right. But I don't know ..." Tears rolled over her eyes and started to struggle even harder.

"It's too late! Anybody still in there is long dead." One of the men said harshly.

"I'll tell the king." Shirou tried to reassure her. "Maybe he can do something." Shirou ran over to the king. "Arturia, there is still somebody in there. A little girl is trapped inside."

"It is too late. The fire has progressed too far." Lancelot said. His face was calm, but sad as he clearly had accepted the girl's fate. "There is nothing more we can do. Going in there now would be risking lives needlessly."

Shirou gritted his teeth. Arturia laid her hand on his shoulder. "Shirou. I hate to admit it, but Lancelot is right. It is too late now." Shirou looked at her. Her face was as expressionless as always. Shirou turned and walked away.

There had to be something he could do. His eyes fell upon a large sheet of cloth at a weavers shop. There lay. An idea formed in his head. He grabbed the sheet and soaked it in a nearby water barrel. He covered himself in it and dashed toward the open door of the inn.

Lancelot, the king and Bedivere were busy delegating the fire fighting effort, so they didn't notice, until Shirou ran past them toward the inn.

"Somebody stop him." Lancelot ordered as he himself ran after Shirou. But Shirou had already made it inside. Lancelot followed him with lightning speed. However, he was forced to break off his pursuit when suddenly part of the ceiling collapsed and blocked the exit. Shirou was on his own now.

The smoke stung his eyes and made it hard to breath. He had a hard time navigating. At this rate he was going to die here without achieving anything when suddenly an idea formed in his head. He placed his hand on the floor.

"Trace on." The hammer striked in his mind. When Shirou fixed appliances he used magecraft to analyze the inner structure of the malfunctioning object. So he thought it would be possible to analyze the layout of the inn in the same way. Shirou bit away the heat and focused. In his mind, the image of the building's layout formed. It worked. Now knowing were he had to go, Shirou dashed towards the second floor.

The heat was unbearable, but Shirou pushed through. Luck was with him though, as the second floor wasn't yet completely consumed by the flames. There he saw her. The girl had passed out from the heat. Time was running out. He covered the girl in the wet sheet and made his way back to the ground floor. He was almost at the door when he noticed it was blocked. This is bad. He needs to get out and fast.

"How foolish. What is he thinking?" Lancelot exclaimed in disbelief. "I am terribly sorry for not being able to stop him. I will accept any punishment you deems necessary." Lancelot apologized to the king.

"We will talk about this later, sir Lancelot. Let us first find a way to save him." Arturia was worried. She admired his courage, even though it was foolish.

"My king, the door to the store room is still free. Allow me to go after him." Gawain proposed.

"Are you certain, sir Gawain? I understand that you want to repay him for saving you, but this is reckless. Allow me to go with you." Mordred offered. "The two of us would stand a better chance of getting him out."

Gawain looked at Mordred with surprise, but he soon nodded in approval. Suddenly a soldier called out. "My king, there he is." He pointed at the entrance. There was Shirou carrying a child in his arms.

"Clear the door way, by any means necessary." The king commanded. Lancelot, Gawain, Bedivere and Mordred ran towards the entrance. But more debris fell, blocking the entrance further.

"Out of the way." Mordred kicked off and literally flew towards the entrance. "Stand back, Shirou!" Mordred shouted. Shirou had only a split second to react and create some distance between him and the entrance, as Mordred flew towards the entrance and with a mighty swing from his sword smashed the debris aside. Shirou watched the incredible display of strength in awe. "Do not keep standing there dumbfounded, get over here!"

Mordred's shout brought Shirou back to reality. He ran towards Mordred at the entrance when suddenly the ceiling came down. There was no time, Shirou threw the girl to Mordred. "Catch her!" Mordred caught the girl just in time. But the ceiling collapsed on top of Shirou. The last thing Shirou saw was Mordred retreating with the girl as the building started to collapse.


	10. Chapter 9

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 9: Resuming training

A golden sword. Shirou dreamed once again about this sword. A shining, keen edge and a golden handle and cross guard, beautifully decorated. The gold and blue ornate handle and cross guard reflected the sunlight. The sword faded away and an open plain appeared. In the distance he saw the arena for a jousting tournament. He could hear the cheering and shouting from here.

Then he saw the sword, planted firmly in a stone.

_I see. This must be the day when she pulled out the sword._ And there he saw her, dressed as a boy, staring at the sword with determination. Arturia stretched out her arm to grab the sword.

"You should think this through." A voice said. She looked up. Merlin had appeared before her. "Because if you pulls out this sword, you shall no longer be human. You will be resented by all of humanity and die a miserable death."

A vision appeared of her dying alone on a hill. This would become her fate, the moment she pulls it out. But her eyes merely glowed more determined.

"No." She nodded firmly, even after having been shown the Fate that would await her.

"Are you really alright with this?" He asked calmly.

"Yes. Because … Many people were smiling. I don't believe this to be a mistake."

She took the sword with a firm grip. Merlin started to walk away.

"But remember, Arturia. A miracle comes at a price. In exchange you will lose the thing most important to you." Merlin left as Arturia pulled out the sword. The entire area became filled with a brilliant, golden light. In the distance, the cheering and shouting from the arena fell silent.

Shirou understood. Arturia only wanted to protect everyone. To keep the people safe. But if she wants to accomplish this, she must throw away the emotion of 'wanting to protect the people'.

One cannot protect the country, the people, as king if one has human emotions.

Therefore she decided to trow away her heart. To suppress her emotions completely.

She gave up her own happiness in order to safeguard the happiness of her people.

She accepted this. Her heart won't change, even if she is abandoned, feared or betrayed.

Arturia decided to protect, in exchange for her heart. This was something she kept strictly to herself. Nobody would know about such a sublime oath. She chose to fight. Even if solitary ruin awaited her at the end. She still decided to fight. No matter what.

Shirou opened his eyes. What was that dream? No, these were memories, he somehow knew. Her memories. It was also strange. The sword she carried during the trip had been different from the sword she pulled from the stone. Even Merlin had looked different.

Shirou looked around and found himself inside his room. How long has he been here? He looked out the window. The sun was already high in the sky, so he reckoned at least half a day. Voices could be heard in the next room. Suddenly the door opened and a servant came in.

"My king, he's awake." The servant said as soon as he saw Shirou. Arturia entered followed by Guinevere, Merlin, Lancelot, Kay, Bedivere, Gawain, Mordred and even Agravain.

"Shirou, how do you feel?" Arturia asked. Shirou tried to sit upright, but Mordred held him down.

"Don't move, Shirou." He said rather harshly. "You haven't fully recovered yet. Shees, that was admirable, but so damn reckless."

"What happened?" Shirou finally managed to ask. "How is the girl?"

"Still worrying about the child, I see." Gawain smiled in admiration. "Don't worry she is save, thanks to you."

"When the building came down, you had thrown the child in my arms. The collapse forced me to retreat or I and the child would hast been burried with you." Mordred shook his head.

"Luckily Merlin arrived in the nick of time." Lancelot continued. "He used his magic to clear the flames and removed most of the obstacles, allowing us to dig you out of the rubble. But your wounds were severe. We thought you would die at any moment. Half your ribs were shattered and a piece of iron had ripped open your abdomen."

"Your healing ability is what saved you." Bedivere took over, but he sounded unnerved. "It was strange. It looked like as if you were... 'pulled' together by blades. Layer upon layer of blades." This revelation sounded unnerving indeed. "How do you feel?"

"As good as can be, I guess. My body feels numb, though. And my arms have this burning sensation."

"I have treated your wounds, but given how fast they healed there was not much to do." Merlin finished the explanation as he put down what seemed to be a traveling bag. "Afterwards we brought you here to recuperate. The numbness however is not caused by the injuries you had suffered." Shirou looked at him questioningly. "I'll explain later. For now you must rest." Merlin gave a hearty smile.

"Shirou, there is something I wish to say to you." Arturia made a difficult face for a moment, but then softened. "But first, there is someone who wishes to thank you." She nodded to Kay. Kay walked to the door and opened it.

"Ma'am, you and the child can come in now." Kay stepped aside. The child and her mother entered. The child looked a bit pale, but otherwise healthy.

"Emiya Shirou. I am glad that ye are safe." The woman made a bow. "My name is Ailletha. And this my daughter Eda. You have my eternal gratitude for saving my daughter." Eda walked over to Shirou. However she clearly hadn't fully recovered as she stumbled. Arturia caught her before she fell over.

"You must take it easy, child. You have not yet fully recovered." She helped her walk over to Shirou.

"Thank ye, Emy'a Shi'ou, fo' saving me." She handed him a flower, smiling brightly. "I picked this for you."

Shirou smiled and patted her on the head, as he accepted the flower. "Thank you, Eda. But seeing that you are alright is more then enough for me." Eda blushed and looked at the ground timidly.

"Now, what I wanted to say to you, Shirou." Arturia looked at him firmly. "It was certainly a valiant deed, to brave the flames in order to save her. But as Mordred already said, it was far to reckless. You came this close to death yourself. I say, you should not have charged in so recklessly!"

"King Artha? Are you saying that Shi'ou shouldn't have saved me?" Eda asked confused.

"No, I am not saying that, dear child." Arturia's expression was apologetic. "I am just saying that... he did not think it through. If things had gone wrong, we would have had to lay two people to rest." She sighed. Some of the others present nodded in agreement. Suddenly Eda started coughing. Her mother quickly took her in her arms.

"The child still needs to rest." Merlin stood up. "I will provide some medicine to speed her recovery." He motioned the mother and her child to follow him.

"Please do, Merlin. Milady Ailletha, you may remain in the castle until Eda is fully healed." Arturia said in her usually calm manner. "Sir Bedivere, please escort them."

"It is my pleasure, my king." Bedivere bowed. "Please follow us. I will show you to your accommodations."

"Thank ye." She lifted up Eda and walked to the door, there she stopped and looked back to Shirou. "Emiya Shirou, words can not express my gratitude. I will talk to my husband. He will surely reward ye handsomely."

Shirou smiled. "No need miss Ailletha. I saved her because I wanted to. There was no other reason. Knowing that others are happy because I could help them, makes me happy." Ailletha was not sure how to respond.

"Now I see." Arturia said as she understood what Shirou meant. "I thought it was strange, but now I understand." She smiled for a moment. It was a warm, gentle smile. A beautiful smile brought forth by genuine happiness. Shirou saw the surprise on everybody faces.

"Ah, king Artha smiled." Eda said with a cheerful voice.

"Everybody, I believe Shirou needs his rest, as does Eda. Let us leave."

"You heard, the king. Let us bother him no longer." Gawain urged them.

Bedivere guided Ailletha and Eda to their quarters, followed by Merlin. Mordred bid Shirou good day and left together with Agravain. Gawain, Kay and Lancelot left with Guinevere.

"Now rest, Shirou. I will have Everill prepare a meal for you." Arturia left the room. Shirou laid himself down to sleep.

"Ma, king Artha smiled." Eda repeated happily.

Ailletha smiled back at her. "The king sure did."

"Indeed, the king smiled." Bedivere too was smiling brightly, after the initial surprise.

"Is that a rare thing, Sir Bedivere?" Ailletha asked in surprise. Bedivere looked at her with an elated expression.

"Milady Ailletha, are you aware of how much king Arthur has done for us?" He asked seriously.

Ailletha was surprised by the question. "Well, King Arthur is exalted as the most righteous and wisest king there is. He defeated the invaders and brought stability to the kingdom. The king brought peace and prosperity to the country."

"Indeed. And I take great pride in serving the king and therefor work hard to support him. I have worked hard for years to earn my place at the kings side." Bedivere sighed. "The king has done so much for us and therefore he should be reward more than anybody else." Ailletha listened attentively.

"That is my wish. That the king who did so much for our country to achieve the happiness he deserves. But that wish has gone unanswered. For all the years I stood at his side, I have never seen the king smile or cry. That is until today."

Bedivere was overcome with joy. His king who had never smiled before, had finally smiled. And it was because of Emiya Shirou. This stranger had brought a smile to the king. In his heart, Bedivere understood that this stranger from a distant land could bring happiness to the king. And he, Bedivere, would ensure the young man's safety to that end. Merlin followed silently, with an unsure smile.

And Bedivere wasn't the only one who was pleased by it. "Did you witness that, sir Lancelot?" Guinevere asked, still in disbelief.

"Yes, milady Guinevere. This is the first time the king has smiled. As far as I know, that is." Lancelot too, was surprised by all this. "What are you thoughts on the matter, sir Gawain?" But Gawain was not sure as to what to say. He was frowning, as if to discern what just had happened.

"I have been his spouse for years, and not even I have ever seen him smile like that." Guinevere was not sure what to make of it. "Humhh? Sir Kay? Are you crying?"

Lancelot and Gawain turned to look at Kay. He was crying. There were no tears, but his eyes were watery and what's more, it was obviously he was crying from joy. Now they thought about it, he was king Arthur's foster brother.

"It has been almost ten years." Kay wiped the tears from his eyes. "Almost ten years. I knew him from since he was just a babe. We grew up as brothers and loved each other as such. But ever since he pulled the sword from the stone, he had henceforth never smiled again. I was starting to think, I would never see that smile again."

Kay smiled from ear to ear. "Milady, Sirs. If you will pardon me." Kay walked away, with a spring to his pace. She smiled. Arturia had finally smiled again.

Others however, were not sure what to make of it. "Hmmm, I believe this is the first time I saw the king smile. By now, I believed the king was incapable of showing emotions." Agravain was surprised, his brow frowning.

Mordred simply walked silently beside him. It was true. His father had shown emotions for the first time, ever since Mordred can remember. And for some reason, it made him feel frustrated.

"By the way, I have something interesting to tell you about Sir Lancelot and the queen." Mordred looked at Agravain's cold expression.

The next day Shirou woke up well rested, even though he still felt a little sore. He had recovered quite fast from a wound which should have meant near instant death. The fact that he healed fast was indeed something very handy, but it still was a bit unsettling.

He washed himself and put on the new tunic that was left behind. It was bright red embroidered with black dragon on the left chest. When he left the room, he immediately ran into Bedivere. He was sitting by the fire place, reading a book. He looked up when Shirou entered.

"Good morning, Emiya Shirou." Bedivere gave him a gentle smile. He looked like he was in a particulary good mood. "You must be hungry. Coincidently, It's just time for breakfast. Since you are awake in time, the king would like to invite you to breakfast."

Shirou suppressed a yawn. "I would be happy too." He stretched himself out. "Please lead the way, Bedivere-san." Bedivere happily escorted Shirou to the king. "Say, how is Eda doing?"

Bedivere looked at Shirou, his face still looking happy. "Still thinking of others wellbeing , I see. Haha. She is doing alright. Merlin says that she will be fully recovered before the day is over. She is currently eating with her mother. Her father is also here. He was worried sick when I saw him. He eased down when he realized that Eda was going to be alright." Shirou was happy to hear that.

When they arrived, the king and queen were already sitting at the table, along with Kay and Merlin.

"Ah, Shirou, sir Bedivere. Good that you are able to join us. Please have a seat." said Guinevere graciously. Bedivere and Shirou took place at the table. Soon the servants came, bringing the breakfast.

"Everybody enjoy the meal." Arturia's expression was as calm as ever. "How are you feeling, Shirou?"

"Much better, thank you. But I still feel numb." Shirou scooped up some of the vegetable soup. He had some difficulty holding his spoon due to the numbness.

"You had been very brave, saving the girl from that inferno. Not to mention saving sir Gawain twice and shielding my husband." Guinevere spoke with admiration for Shirou's heroics. "I would say he has earned a sizable reward for his actions by now. Would you not agree, my king?"

Arturia nodded in agreement. "Indeed, milady Guinevere. I was thinking the same thing. Shirou, it is about time that you received a proper reward." She looked at Shirou intensely. Her eyes saying that she wouldn't allow him to turn it down. "Eda's father is determined to reward you for saving his daughter. You should know that he is the most talented and skilled bowyer in the land. He knows that you have considerable skill with archery and therefor he offers to craft you a masterpiece with all of his knowledge and skills. To that end I will grant him the finest materials to work with. Even Merlin has offered his help in it's creation."

Shirou gulped. That will be some bow. "That really isn't necessary." He said nervously. "Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the offer. But the truth is, I don't need a reward. Seeing that Eda is safe is good enough for me. Besides, once I return home I would not have any need for it. It would just be collecting dust."

"Shirou, you saved his daughter's life. And in return he offers you a masterpiece of the kind of which, he won't ever make another in his live. Refusing this gift would be rather rude." Merlin scolded Shirou. "And I say you have earned this gift. There is no reason for you to not accept it. Even if you would never use it." Shirou let the words sink in.

"Alright then. I accept." Shirou took a bit of bread and soaked it in the soup. "By the way, Merlin. What about my magic training?" Merlin drank some water, staring in the distance with a dreamy smile. "Merlin!"

"What? Ah, yes! Your training." Merlin took his bag and opened it. Shirou looked inside. It contained numerous books, ingredients and potions, along with other tools. Shirou thought it odd for all those things to be contained in such a small bag. "Space distortion spell." He explained when he saw Shirou staring. "Ah, here it is." He procured a familiar looking knife.

"Is that ..." Shirou started.

"... the knife you projected some days ago? Yes indeed." Merlin eyes gleamed from excitement. "I must say, your projection is very unusual ... and interesting."

"Excuse me, Merlin. But could you explain it to us as well?" Guinevere inquired as the other's too where interested in what Merlin had to say.

"Ah, of course milady Guinevere." Merlin cleared his voice. "You must know that there are three ways to use magical energy for transmutation, the manipulation of materials. Strengthening, which means improving the properties of an object. Like making a candle shine brighter for example. Then there is Alteration. Giving an object a property it did not had before. And lastly is Projection. Meaning creating objects from Prana."

Everybody listened attentively to Merlin. "While strengthening and alteration are commonly used, projection is not. This is because objects made from prana always disappear after a short while. It also less efficient. It is therefore only used to create an object that one only needs temporarily, but doesn't have on hand. Using it for anything else is considered folly." Merlin turned his attention to Shirou and held up the knife. "Our guest Shirou however is able to project items for an extended period of time. He projected this knife, albeit incomplete, days ago and it still remains." Merlin let his explanation sink in.

"During our fight with the bandits, he projected a sword." Kay remembered. "I must say that is pretty handy during sticky situations."

"Not surprising? That was the reason why you are feeling numb. Because you suddenly projected such a complete item you flooded circuits that have been dormant for a long time. You were lucky that you only projected a simple sword. Shees! You could have lost an arm." Merlin chided him. "Anyway ... Shirou, I am sorry that I did not explain it to you sooner. I was engrossed by my study of this knife. And also, I have been investigated the portal through which you have arrived." Merlin explained enthusiastically. Shirou's heart accelerated a little when Merlin mentioned the portal.

"Have you found it?" He asked excited, to which Merlin nodded.

"It is still closed however. We might have missed it opening a few times. However, I have replaced the barrier with my own and placed some familiars as sentries. I will know immediately if the portal opens." This eased Shirou a bit.

"The others are definitely worried sick by now." Shirou sighed at the thought. He has been here for more then a week now.

"Not necessarily. From what I have learned is that, when one returns to their own time, they will arrive not much later from when they first stepped through." Merlin reassured. This made Shirou's heart skip a beat.

"Are you sure about that, Merlin?" Kay inquired while stroking his goatee.

"I am. The magi from his age have recorded it in that red book. They believe it is a failsafe from the flow of time in order to keep everything in order. However, the time between the moment one has left and one returns will grow larger the longer one remains in the other era." Merlin's expression grew serious. "About one or two days per month. Shirou has been here for almost a fortnight, so he should return about half a day, a day later then when he left. So no need to worry, OK?" He gave an overly cheerful smile. Shirou hadn't interacted with Merlin much, but he was beginning to believe that Merlin was a lot more childish than he had heard.

"That is good to hear. I am sure that we will be able to send mister Shirou back to his own time before his friends and family get worried." Guinevere said calmly. "Do you feel reassured now, mister Shirou?" She folded her hands and smiled at him.

"Yeah, it sure is a relief. But I must say, I would miss you guys. It has been rather interesting meeting you all." Shirou grinned. "But now is not the time to say goodbye." Shirou finished his plate. "Thank you for the food. By the way, is Mordred here somewhere? I'll be staying for a while longer, so maybe I could continue my training with him."

"Sir Mordred has left the castle yesterday. He said he had to take care of some personal affairs." Arturia stated calmly. "Before he left, he bid you a speedy recovery. He also said that, should you wish to continue your training, you should ask someone else in the meantime."

"Bedivere, why don't you help him train?" Kay suddenly proposed. "I would like to do it myself. however the king has requested my assistance with the finances."

Bedivere smiled happily. "I would have offered myself regardless. What do you say, mister Shirou?"

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to train with you." Everybody had finished their breakfast and prepared to leave. "Say, Kay-san. Do you often help the king with the finances?" Shirou asked out of curiosity.

"Indeed, I do." Kay straightened his back. "I also advise him on other affairs as well, especially concerning management."

"This is true." Arturia confirmed with a satisfied look. "When it comes to handling the finances and management of the kingdom, there is none other I trust more then sir Kay. While I am considered unmatched with the sword, he is unmatched with words."

"Indeed, he is." Bedivere added with a grin. "There is even a rumor going on that he could even shock fire dragons to return where they came from with his oratory skills." Everybody chuckled.

"Please, sir Bedivere." Kay blushed slightly.

"While the rumor is exaggerated, he most certainly is a skilled at diplomacy and management. He is man who has a clear understanding of his own capabilities. I am most fortunate to have him at my side." Arturia stated proudly, which made Kay smile.

"Well, then I am off to my tower. Shirou, I will see thee after dinner, so doth not be late." Merlin grabbed his bag when Shirou noticed something.

"Say, Merlin." Merlin turned to Shirou. "What is it?"

Shirou pointed to the two pieces of white cloth inside his bag. "What were those pieces odd cloth for?" Merlin got a slight blush, like a child that was caught doing something naughty, but without regret. Kay glanced in the bag and sighed.

"He did it again?" Arturia clasped her hands together and sighed heaily. Guinevere shook her head in displeasure.

"He did it again." Kay confirmed. "Merlin! How many times do we have to tell you to stop stealing women's undergarments." He sounded like father berating his disobedient child.

"Those two girls were rather eager. One should always have time for love. There is nothing more important than that." Merlin grinned, not feeling ashamed or guilty in the slightest. They all shook their heads in exasperation.

Several moments later, Shirou and Bedivere were standing in the trainings hall. They had already taken up their training swords.

"So, mister Shirou. Let us see what sir Mordred has taught you up until now." Bedivere had become completely focused. There was only room for seriousness. Shirou took his stance and attacked. As expected, Bedivere was just as skilled as Mordred. He parried every strike Shirou made. He didn't counterattack, but merely defended as he was observing Shirou's technique.

"Alright, you may stop." Bedivere said after a while. "I must say, Shirou. You executed your strikes rather well, but I get the feeling that this way of fighting doesn't really suit you." Bedivere remarked. He passed around for a bit, pondering.

"How so?" Bedivere's statement had surprised him. He hadn't been practicing that long, so how could Bedivere possibly know that?

"I am not sure myself. I would say that you don't have the talent for this style of fighting and I think Mordred would have noticed this as well." Bedivere sank deeper into thought. "However, I am sure that we will find a way to resolve this. In the mean time we will continue as we are now. Now, have at thee."

Shirou took a defensive stance as Mordred had taught him. Bedivere came at him fast, but Shirou reckoned he was holding back. His strikes were fast and precise. Shirou did his utmost to defend himself and tried to counterattack. Bedivere didn't hit as hard as Mordred did, but he still let Shirou feel it when he made a mistake. Which, of course, happened the entire time. In between, Bedivere instructed Shirou on how he could improve and what he did wrong.

By the time they finished several hours had passed. Shirou's body was hurting all over from the blows he had received. Bedivere handed him a mug with water, which he quickly drank.

"Tell me, mister Shirou. How does my method of training compare to sir Mordred's?" Bedivere inquired.

"Hmmm. He usually gives a demonstration first, then he lets me try. During which he corrects any mistakes I make. After which we spar. I will say that Mordred is more physical in his approach during sparring. He hits me a lot harder than you did, and even throws in a shoulder charge or two and such." Shirou's body ached a bit as he recalled his sessions with Mordred. "In the end, I would say he is a good teacher in his own way."

Bedivere nodded as to affirm it. "I see. Judging from what you just told me, I would say that Mordred's training is more directed at giving thee an early combat experience. Most of the others would do that, after their students hast progressed further."

Shirou did had that impression when sparring with Mordred. Then he recalled the fight with bandits the other day. "But you know, during that ambush the other day … The way Mordred fought back then. It was completely different from what he had thought me."

Bedivere frowned at the memory. "I know what you mean. I have seen him fight that way in battle. I was quite shocked when I saw him fight like that. He used to fight much more elegantly. A truly savage way of fighting, but undeniably effective." Bedivere sounded displeased. "A knight should not fight in such a way." He murmured.

"It was...brutal." Shirou admitted. "But what amazed me more though, was the strength which Arturia and Mordred displayed." Shirou's tone changed to admiration. "How can they posses such strength, with such a small frame?"

Bedivere's face turned serious. "Are you aware that the king carries the Element of the Dragon?" Shirou tried to remember. The legend did mentioned something like that. He nodded in confirmation. "Because of that the King possesses a tremendous amount of Prana. He can use this Prana to reinforce his body and increase his strength. And when you consider that Mordred is the King's son, it is possible that he inherited this trait from him."

"That explains a lot." Shirou shrugged his shoulders. No wonder she can use such strength.

Bedivere looked outside and noticed that the sun was almost at its zenith. "Oh my. It is noon already." Bedivere remarked. "You should go and grab something to eat, if you wish to be in time for Merlin's training." Shirou nodded.

"I'll do that. Thank you for your time, Sir Bedivere." Bedivere nodded with a smile. Shirou's stomach growled.

After dinner, Shirou went to Merlin's tower. It has to be said that the food here had improved quite well during the time Shirou has been here. He knocked on the door on arrival.

"Enter." Merlin responded and Shirou entered. Merlin was busy working on some potions.

"Please sit down. I will be with you momentarily." He pointed to the table by which they practiced strengthening the last time. Several objects were lying on the table. Shirou walked up to the table and sat down on a stool.

Shirou was curious about what Merlin was making. "What are you making over there?"

Merlin looked to Shirou. "Some magic potions. There art some for increasing ones physical abilities, some to breath underwater and this one here is a powerful sleeping potion." He pointed to several crystal flasks with purple, green and yellow liquid respectively. Then he dropped some clear liquid into the yellow liquid, which promptly became clear as well. "And finished." Merlin grinned satisfied and put the flasks, all but three, one of each, on a shelve. The other three went into his bag.

"Now we may begin your training." He walked to Shirou with some spring in his step. "Let me tell thee, that I wast surprised when I learned that you projected a sword, the other day." Merlin clasped his hands together. "Would you care to demonstrate that again for me?"

Shirou felt nervous before Merlin's excitement. "Fine, I'll try it." He began to focus and activated his circuit. "Trace on." The image of a sword appeared inside his head. His circuit traced across his right hand as it began to glow and …. The magical energy flowed out of him and formed into a sword.

When he was finished, he looked at the sword weighed it in his hand. It felt just as a real sword. He began to smile as it got through to him.

"Impressive. However ..." Merlin took a sword from the table, then he began to chant a spell. _"Rise and fight."_ The sword began to float in the air. "Shirou, please take a fighting stance."

Shirou saw were Merlin was going and quickly took his stance. Merlin waved his hand and the sword swung at him. It hit the projected sword with great power. Shirou reckoned that this power would equal to that of a knight, like Bedivere or Mordred, who used all his power. A shock went through his arms for a moment and the projected sword was shattered. Merlin landed the sword back on the table as Shirou's sword dissipated into thin air. A mischievous smile played around Merlin's lips.

"Projection requires having an accurate image and understanding of the object in your head. If not, then the projected will be flawed and shatter just like that." Merlin lectured. Shirou understood what he meant. If one wants to project an object, one must first try to imagine it as it is in reality and have a clear understanding of it. The better the Magus' imagination and understanding of the object, the better the projection.

"So, I take it we will practicing like this for a while then?" Shirou inquired.

"Yes, partially. Most of your practice will consist of repeating projection. Besides that I will try and find a way help improve your ability to commit the properties and appearance of objects to your memory." Merlin was frowning as he began to sink into thought. "But for now we will keep practicing the projection."

And thus they practiced projection for the rest of the day. Most objects ended up hollow, but some of them were projected rather well. As expected, swords in particular were the most complete. Before he left, Merlin had instructed him to practice his projection whenever possible.

Todays lesson was a long one and all that projection has made him tired. So he decided to eat in the in the mess hall. The hall was almost empty, except for a few soldiers. He got a simple, but delicious stew for supper and was enjoying it gratefully.

Meanwhile in the ruined fortress. It had taken him less time than expected to arrive. Mordred rode through the gate and jumped of immediately when the horse stopped. A soldier hurried over and took over the reigns. Mordred started towards the barracks when three men came to greet him.

"Ah, Sir Mordred. I hope you had a pleasant trip." The Commander said calmly. "To what do we owe this surprise visit? Nothing troublesome, I hope?"

"Good to see you too, Commander. And you as well Giraud,... Beves." They could hear the suppressed anger in Mordred's voice. "To answer your question, Commander, I am here because some blinking idiot decided to ambush the king, in an attempt to kidnap Emiya Shirou. Forcing me to kill several of our men." The Commander's face darkened indicating that he knew who did it.

"Commander, Where is Dunstan?" Mordred's tone made it clear that he would accept no excuses.

"This way, sir Mordred." The Commander led the way. "So, Dunstan attacked you and the king? That explains why returned with only two of his men and a shattered cleaver. When he said that he went to stage an ambush, I reckoned it would be another weapons transport, so I paid no heed. But to attack the king! What brought him to do that?"

"Eh, excuse me Commander, but who is this Dunstan?" Beves had gotten curious, since he did not know many of the other groups who were part of the growing rebellion.

The Commander lifted an eyebrow as looked at Beves. "I am amazed that you don't know of him as he is the most infamous bandit in the kingdom. He is the most dangerous and heartless man you would ever encounter, I can swear to that." The Commander had brushed with Dunstan and his band a couple of times in the past, each time ended with a slaughter.

"Dunstan is the leader of the largest band of outlaws in the country and he is, as the Commander just had said, brutal. He only cares about himself and has an extreme penchant for destruction. And it is said that he had even murdered his own sister." Giraud continued. "I recall how I have once witnessed how he massacred an entire village. And during the Saksen invasions he fought on the side of the invaders. He is also extremely smart as he has evaded capture for more than ten years and is capable of concocting effective strategies." All this made Beves feel afraid. They had such a dangerous man working with them?

"Indeed. He is also a capable fighter, who's skill could match that of a knight. I would prefer to see him dead though." Mordred grumbled. "It was my mother who brought him to our cause, but those who know of him can all agree that he would betray us at any moment and for any reason he chooses."

They arrived at the forge. The smith was working on a large cleaver-like sword while a tall, heavily armored man watched. He turned around as he felt the group approach. Beves couldn't help but feel intimidated. No, terrified was more appropriate.

"Sir Mordred. I take it you are here regarding the ambush I staged the other day." His voice was deep and calm. Mordred walked up to him.

"Remove your helmet, Dunstan." Mordred's voice was dangerously low. Dunstan stood up. He was more than six foot tall, towering above Mordred, but Mordred was not intimidated in the least. Beves was surprised when Dunstan removed his helmet as he had imagined him with a hard face and scared all over, but such was not the case. Dunstan had fair features, and large square chin. His hair was pitch black and hang onto his shoulders. It were his eyes that drew the most attention. When Beves looked in to those pale, ice-blue eyes, he could only feel dread. Cruel, heartless, without a shred of compassion.

"Glad that you are aware. Now explain!" Mordred said impatiently. "I thought you were smarter than that. Why did you do that?" Dunstan remained calm

"Because milady Morgan le Fay had commanded it." Dunstan said with indifference. "I was against it, but when it comes to the king, milady Morgan can be quite obstinate." Mordred growled.

"Mother did? I should have known." He said with agitation. "I take it she is in her workshop?"

"By last account, she was." The Commander replied. Mordred stormed off, leaving the Commander, Giraud, Beves and Dustan behind. The Commander turned to Dunstan. "So you were supposed to kidnap the stranger. Emiya Shirou, was it?" Dunstan merely nodded. "Any idea as to why Milady gave the order to abduct him?"

Dunstan looked the 'Commander' in the eye. His gaze was as calm as it was cold. One found more warmth in the eyes of a dead man. Dunstan piercing gaze had made many a man back down from fear alone. Luckily the Commander was hardened enough to resist it. "Milady Morgan believes that the king has taken a liking to this stranger and as you are aware … "

"She loves to destroy the things the king cares about whenever an opportunity presents itself." The Commander finished the sentence as he shook his head.

"And then there is this fact about him knowing about this Holy Grail." Dunstan continued. Beves, Giraud and the Commander looked at each other with intrigue. They had heard rumors about the boy knowing something about the location of the Holy Grail. And about a supposed war in order to obtain it.

Soldiers jumped aside as Mordred stormed towards Morgan's workshop situated in the basement. By the time Mordred had reached his mother's workshop, he felt merely exasperated. Morgan was an intelligent and powerful Magus, but when it came to his father, she could be rather reckless at times.

"Mother!" Morgan turned around when Mordred stormed in. "Care to explain yourself?"

Morgan regarded Mordred with mild surprise. "I think you know well enough why I did it. Your father has taken a liking to him and besides that … The information about the Holy Grail you had gained from him is inadequate. Therefor I ordered for him to be brought here, so I could retrieve the knowledge myself."

"That is unnecessary. He answers all my questions because he does not see any harm in doing so. Furthermore, I am certain that he did not knew that much to begin with." Mordred knew very well of the methods his mother would employ and he would not wish such fate onto anyone.

Morgan eyes widened and a broad smile appeared on her face. "Ha, you have taken a liking to him as well, have you not?"

"I like his stubbornness. And he is also brave enough to risk his life for others, a quality that is extremely rare amongst magi. But that is besides the issue. You have caused us unnecessarily trouble." Mordred complained loudly. Morgan merely made a pouting face. "I know it is of no use telling you this, but try and refrain from such actions." Mordred turned around and left, knowing that his mother would not heed his words.


	11. Chapter 10

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 10: A Royal Gift

It has been four days since he had resumed his training with Merlin. His numbness was gone now. Merlin assured him that projecting would now much smoother now his circuits were opened. That is as long he doesn't overdo it. During this time he practiced his projecting constantly, like projecting chopsticks during meal times and other simple things. Shirou was waiting in the training hall for Bedivere. Today Shirou was planning to use his projection during training. If all went well, Bedivere would be in for a surprise.

"Ah, Shirou. You are early today. If I had known, I would have come earlier myself." Bedivere didn't come alone, accompanied by Gawain and another knight were accompanying him. The other knight was not wearing his armor. He wore a bright green tunic, embroidered with a climbing Lion. He had an elegant face and his blue eyes where narrowed. Or rather he kept them almost closed. His long scarlet hair was well maintained and wavy. Judging from his features he was still in his twenties, but his expression was rather sad.

"But before we begin, let me introduce to you, sir Tristan."

"A pleasure to meet you, mister Emiya." Tristan spoke with a poetic tone and extended his hand. He strikes Shirou as a person who always looked at the glass half empty.

Shirou shook his hand and smiled in return. "A pleasure to meet you too, sir Tristan." Tristan's smile however was rather sad.

"I have already heard about your exploits from my fellow knights. Nothing to scoff at if you ask me. Although I must admit they sounded a bit reckless." His voice turned a little more serious for a moment. "Would you mind if Gawain and I observe your training?"

"No, not at all." Shirou said smiling before he turned to face Bedivere. "Shall we begin then, sir Bedivere?"

"An excellent idea." Bedivere walked over to the rack to grab some training swords.

"You only need to take one, Bedivere." Shirou said suddenly. Gawain, Tristan and Bedivere looked Shirou with curious surprise.

"Ohh. Are you planning to train without a sword?" Tristan asked in amusement.

"Not really." Shirou smiled cryptic. "Trace on." A training sword appeared in a flash. This lifted some eyebrows.

"Impressive. Do you think that it will hold out?" Gawain whistled softly.

"Shall we find out?" Shirou took his fighting stance. Bedivere smiled as he faced Shirou.

"Yes, we shall." Bedivere grinned and began his attack. Bedivere began slowly, but he upped his pace very fast. Shirou managed to block a few strikes, but most still came through, as always. His projected sword lasted quite long to Shirou's relief.

"Your sword is holding out rather well, I believe." Bedivere remarked. "And your skill has improved a little as well. I am going to up the bar a little." And sure enough. Bedivere's pace increased even further, as did the strength in his attacks. At one point Bedivere went for Shirou's left arm with some power. This one was going to hurt.

At that instance, Shirou remembered the small buckler shields he had seen lying around and he reacted fast. "Trace on!" And he projected a small buckler shield in his left hand and blocked Bedivere's blow. Bedivere's eyes widened in surprise and while the shield shattered. Tristan and Gawain were both smiling from amusement and approval as the attack was still nullified.

"Well, well. That certainly was a surprise, Shirou." Bedivere grinned. "It seems your magic has improved somewhat too."

"Thank you. But it only lasted for a single attack. My sword is at it's limits too, by the way." Shirou looked at his sword as it disappeared.

"Indeed. That was some quick thinking you did. Like the cunning fox." Tristan spoke like a poet, clapping his hands. Gawain too, gave a small applause.

"It is a very useful skill indeed. No doubt it will certainly save your live. Why don't you two take a small break." Gawain proposed as he took some mugs and filled them with water. Only now Shirou noticed how thirsty he was.

"Mind if we join you?" A voice called out. From the courtyard, three knights entered. They were Kay, Mordred and an old knight which Shirou hadn't seen yet. The old knight's hair was completely gray. His eyes, as Shirou noticed, looked exactly like Kay's. The knight's armor looked old, but it was well maintained.

"That was some interesting magic you used, Shirou." Mordred sounded amused. "You would be the first Magus that I know of, who fights at melee range. You certainly are more suited for an open confrontation. Not unlike those other Magi who skulk in the shadows." Mordred had given some minor compliments during their training together, but this is the first time that he actually praised him. Something that didn't went unnoticed.

"Did I hear that correctly or is there something wrong with my ears? Because I believe that sir Mordred has just given praise to someone." Tristan was clearly baffled, but also amused in a way.

"Indeed, he did." Said Gawain, lifting his eyebrows in surprise.

"I never knew that you could praise anybody, sir Mordred." Said Bedivere smiling in somewhat delightful surprise.

"Tssst! Are you guys looking for a fight? Of course I give praise to others...when it's due." Mordred said somewhat grumbling.

"Hahaha! Alright break it up you guys." The old knight laughed loudly. "In any case. What sir Mordred says is true, young man. Magi never fight with physical force, because they consider it beneath them." The old knight grinned. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Ector. Sir Kay's father and knight of the round table." He extended his hand.

"A pleasure to meet you, sir Ector. You said you are sir Kay's father? Then you are also the king's foster-father, aren't you?" Shirou concluded as he shook his hand.

"That I am." Ector said with a serious tone and a satisfied smile. "I heard of your deeds. Saving sir Gawain from an ambush. Saving a girl from a fire and shielding the king. And you have only been here for a little more than a fortnight ago. I must say, I am a little impressed."

"Now that is rare. The great sir Ector is impressed." Gawain laughed. "That is something only a few could manage to do, even if it's just a little bit."

"Indeed it is." Kay remarked nodding heavily. "My father is not easily impressed. So I congratulate you, Emiya Shirou." Bedivere and Mordred nodded amused in agreement.

"Okay, that is enough." Ector said with faked annoyance, before he returned his attention to Shirou. "I heard you have been receiving training from Mordred and Merlin. Tell me, mister Emiya. Has Merlin pulled any pranks on you yet?" Ector narrowed his eyes.

"No, luckily not. It seems he has not made such a decision yet." Shirou smiled nervously.

"Then, you have been lucky so far." Ector sounded a little relieved, but oddly enough also a little disappointed. "We just witnessed the results of another of his pranks. He did something to the some of the guards, causing them to behave like roosters. They have been locked up until it wears off."

"Alas, such is the nature of Merlin. We often wander whether he is the king's adviser or the court jester." Tristan lamented as Bedivere and Kay shook their heads in exasperation. Mordred sighed heavily. "In any case. Mister Shirou, I have a message for you." Ector continued. "This afternoon the king will be holding a ceremony in your honor."

Shirou eye's widened with surprise. The knights however seemed to be expecting it. From the looks on their faces "You will receive a gift in honor of your deeds. So I suggest you tidy up for your big moment."

"This is great, mister Shirou." Tristan patted him on his shoulder. The others too were happy with the news. "You have proven yourself, so it is only proper for you to receive a reward."

"It is about time." Gawain grinned, crossing his arms and nodding.

"Wonderful news!" Bedivere exclaimed. "I hear the weapon is to be a masterpiece. One of a kind. I hope you will be able to put it to good use, Shirou."

"We'll see." Shirou replied unsure.

"It will be a great moment for you, none the less. But if you don't mind, I would like to return to the matter of your projection magic? We still have some time." Mordred changed the subject. After witnessing Shirou projecting the shield and sword, his curiosity was aflame. And it seemed the others were curious as well. "I would like to know how far you can go with you projecting? I am rather curious."

"Ohh. It seems to be a rather interesting conversation is taking place." Everybody turned around. Merlni walked towards them with a sprightly spring in his pace. "May I ask what the subject is all about?"

"Ah, Shirou used projection to create a sword and shield during the training." Bedivere explained. "It was quite intriguing and so we have become rather curious as to how far Shirou could go with it."

"I can imagine. What do you say, Shirou?" Merlin asked with a playful grin.

"Well, I don't mind. I am actually curious myself. So why not?" Shirou shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, but be careful. If you overdo it, it will go really wrong, really fast." Merlin warned him with a dark look. Then his face brightened up again. "And remember to focus on the image as I told you." He said with an air-headed smile. Shirou nervously nodded in confirmation. At this point even soldiers and some servants had gathered around them. Curious about what is going on.

"Is that not the lad who saved Gawain and that girl?" The soldiers were whispering. "Ay, he is. I hear the king will be rewarding him today for his actions." They were pushing each other in order to get a better view. "Indeed. I saw him creating a sword from thin air. Shht. He is going to do it again."

Shirou started by creating a sword, then a battle-axe. He continued with bows, crossbows, halberds and two-handed swords. It was quite taxing. "Alright. I will try some armor now." He was already beginning to sweat some more. " He created some buckler shields and plate armor. "It seems that armor cost me a lot more energy to make." Shirou was now starting to pant.

"You should stop. You are wearing yourself out needlessly." Kay urged him. The other's nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps you're right. But I want to make just one more. You're going to love this." Shirou started to focus, while the others looked on. They were eager to see what he was going to make, but also worried as Shirou was visibly exerting himself. Merlin who had looked on with a cheerful smile, had suddenly gotten very tense.

He fidget around nervously. _Is he really planning to do such a thing?_

Shirou was now giving his all. His body felt hot and his head was throbbing. "Shirou that's enough!" Merlin had stepped forward and stopped him. "That's enough Shirou. I told you not to exert yourself." He chided him with a somewhat nervous smile.

"He's right, lad." Ector reprimanded him with a frown. "You would not be the first young man to overdo it. You should go and prepare yourself for the ceremony. As do we." He looked at the other knight's. "And the rest of you should return to your duties!" He commanded.

"We will be taking our leave then, sir Ector." One of the soldiers said as he saluted. The crowd started to disperse.

A little while later, Kay was drinking some ale with his father under the midday sun. But the incident from earlier didn't let him go. He put down his mug and looked at his father. "Father, what do you think of him?" He sounded uncertain.

Ector put down his mug and sighed. "I don't know, my son. That lad has great potential. That much is true. I also heard from Merlin that the lad's magic is highly specialized, but also that his aptitude is fairly low." Ector closed his eyes and frowned as he thought about it. "According to Merlin, he will never become a great magus, but his specialization grants him the possibility to overcome great obstacles. Only time will tell." Ector drank another gulp of ale.

"I see." Kay took his mug when he started to smile.

"What are you laughing at?" Ector asked.

"Have you heard it, father? She smiled again." Kay looked at Ector with elation. Ector looked at him with surprise. "Shirou made her smile."

"He made her smile?" Ector was happily surprised. "Ah, how long has it been? I somehow feel the hand of Fate at work here. But I can not explain why though." Kay looked at his father with wonder. He realized that what his father just said, might be right.

Shirou had just finished bathing and was putting on the new clothes which was provided for the ceremony. It consisted of a tunic made of red linen trimmed with gold, a matching belt and a black trouser and high boots. Shirou thought it a bit flashy for his taste.

Somebody knocked. "Enter." Shirou responded. It was Bedivere and Tristan.

"Are you ready for your ceremony?" Tristan asked. He sounded more cordial than normally.

"Almost." Shirou strapped on the belt. "Done."

"Then would thou follow us to the grand hall?" Bedivere motioned to the door. Shirou nodded.

"I must say, Shirou. That was mighty interesting." Tristan said as they walked through the corridor. "Was it not, sir Bedivere?"

"Indeed it was." Bedivere sounded absentminded. Then he looked Shirou in the eyes. "Anyway Shirou, let me instruct you about the proceedings. Because these ceremonies have a certain procedure to them." Bedivere's tone grew serious. "When we enter the hall, you will walk up in front of the stairs. The king will give a short speech, after which he will ask you to step forward and kneel. You will kneel on your left knee and place your right fist on your heart. And when he presents you your reward, you will take it with both hands and say: 'I hereby accept this gift which you bestows upon me.' Afterwards he will tell you to rise and turn towards the audience. The king will then command the festivities to begin."

"That sounds easy enough." Shirou grinned.

"Ah, it is a relative small ceremony indeed." Tristan smirked. "The ceremony for knighting is grand in comparison. However, for one to be granted knighthood, one must also prove himself in upholding chivalry, honor and justice. So you still have to prove a lot before you have earned that honor."

"True. But I believe you have the potential to become one, Shirou." Bedivere was convinced of that, which clearly showed on his face.

"Thank you for your faith. But I already have something I wish to become." Shirou stated firmly.

"Oh. May we know what it is you wish to be?" Tristan was now really curious. His face showed a hint of expectation. Bedivere too was interested.

"Ever since I was a kid I wanted to become a hero of justice." Shirou spoke confidently. "To save everyone." Bedivere and Tristan looked at each other with uncertainty. While they could agree with Shirou's wish to save people, his statement of saving everyone was just impossible which made them feel a bit worried.

"Ahum, Shirou. While we share with you the desire to protect people, I must point out that saving everybody is … well, impossible." Tristan said hesitantly. "It is just beyond human capabilities." Bedivere nodded in agreement.

"I know." Shirou sighed. "My father told me this as well and I understand. But the thought of not being able to save everybody just doesn't feel right. I don't like such biased justice."

"I can somewhat relate, but ..." Tristan continued.

"We have arrived." Bedivere cut him off. They stood in front of the double door leading to the great hall. "Alright then, Shirou. We will continue this talk another time. But now it is time for the ceremony."

Bedivere motioned to the guards who opened the double door in response. Shirou walked inside, flanked by Bedivere and Tristan. Two large tables laden with food stood on both sides of the hall. Servants stood along the walls, holding cans holding beverages.

Arturia sat on her throne with Guinevere seated on her left side. Merlin stood behind the throne along with Kay. Lancelot, Mordred, Gawain and Ector were lined up on the right and left side, along with other important looking people and knights.

Shirou saw Halinard and lord Haruid among them. When Shirou looked around further he spotted Ailletha and Eda. Eda smiled brightly and waved at him. Shirou returned the gesture. Shirou stopped in front of the stairs and Bedivere and Tristan went to the sides to stand next to their fellow knights.

Arturia stood up and stepped forward. She opened her mouth and spoke with a clear voice. "Welcome to all who hast gathered here. Today we are gathered here in honor of a man who, on several occasions has risked his life for the sake of others. He is a stranger from a far away land, but he has shown a measure of selflessness and dedication befitting for a knight and shall therefore be rewarded." She lowered the tone of her voice at the most important parts, keeping everybody at attention.

Then she looked at Shirou. "Emiya Shirou, you have saved the life of sir Gawain and the people who accompanied him. You have thrown yourself in front of me and caught a blow which was meant for me. And lastly you braved an inferno in order to save a child." She gestured at Gawain, herself and Eda respectively. "You did all this, knowing that it could have cost you your life. So, in light of your heroic deeds, you will be rewarded. Kneel, Emiya Shirou!"

Shirou did as he was instructed, like Bedivere had told him. A man stepped forward carrying a long object on a large velvet cushion, covered by a red, velvet cloth. The man was middle aged and Shirou noticed that his features bore some resemblance to Eda's. This must be her father. He removed the cloth to reveal a large, matte black bow. It had a simple, yet elegant design. It's grip looked like a curved handle, with a hand guard-like arrow rest in front of it.

Arturia took the bow and held it before Shirou. "Emiya Shirou, this bow made by Meldred is one of a kind. He poured all his knowledge and skill in it's creation. Furthermore thanks to Merlin it has received the blessing of the faeries. It's arrows will strike with great power and at great range. I hereby give you this bow as your reward."

Shirou took the bow with both hands and said. "I hereby gratefully accept this gift which you bestows upon me."

Arturia gestured with her right hand and said: "Rise, Emiya Shirou!" Shirou stood up and all those present gave an applause. "Now let the feast commence!" Arturia proclaimed, raising her right arm high in the air.

The servants came forward and started pouring ale and wine. Soon everybody was enjoying the party. Shirou was talking with Merlin about his training when Eda and her parents approached him.

"Ah, Eda-san, Ailletha-san. Glad to see that you're doing alright." Shirou greeted them with a smile. "And you must be Eda's father. Glad to meet you. I am Emiya Shirou." He made a small bow.

Meldred was a bit unsure about how to respond to Shirou's bow, but returned the bow nevertheless. "Good day to you, mister Emiya. I am Meldred." He said smiling. "Firstly, I wanted to thank you personally for saving me daughter." He patted Eda on her head. They both shared the same chestnut colored eyes.

"It was nothing. And thank you for the bow." Meldred smiled and nodded.

"This bow is a masterpiece. I will not make one like that ever again." He grinned widely. "And thanks too the king supplying the materials and Merlin aiding in it's creation, the bows power will be unrivaled."

"Indeed. So be sure you practice with it so you can master it's power." Merlin clasped his hands together. "And if you would excuse me. I have something to discuss with the king." Merlin walked over to Arturia, almost hopping. Then Eda gave a small yawn.

"It looks like Eda is a little tired." Meldred gave Eda a loving look. "My dear, shall we go home? Eda needs her sleep." Ailletha nodded in agreement and lifted Eda up.

"Oh, are you leaving already, mister Meldred?" Guinevere asked disappointed. "How unfortunate that you would not stay any longer."

"I am sorry for leaving so early." Meldred bowed. "And I would like to spend some private time with my wife and child as I hadn't much time to do so while I was working on the bow."

Guinevere gave a warm smile. "No need to apologize. I understand. Children need their sleep. I will have somebody escort you to the gates." Eda had now fallen asleep. She must have been very tired. "I will accompany you part of the way, though. I don't get to talk often with my subjects, aside from the servants."

"Thank you, your grace." Meldred said humbly while bowing again.

"Mister Shirou, you should attend the party further. I shall return momentarily." Guinevere advised.

"We bid you good day, mister Emiya. Until we meet again." Ailletha was holding Eda gently in her arms. Then they left, escorted by Guinevere.

The party lasted till late in the evening and everybody had enjoyed it. Before going to bed, Shirou decided to take a small stroll before going to sleep. When he arrived at the terrace garden he encountered Arturia, Kay, Ector and Guinevere. Apparently they were having a late night chat.

"Oh, look. Mister Shirou has come to join us." Ector was the first to notice him. "Out for a late night stroll, I see." His tone all serious.

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep just yet." Shirou walked over to them. "It was a nice party today."

"Indeed it was. It was unfortunate that mister Meldred had to leave so early." Guinevere gave a sad smile. "How do you like your new bow?"

"It was quite an honor, but it really wasn't necessary. It is … simply too much." Shirou finished.

"Ahho. No need to be so modest. You have rightfully earned it, lad." Ector laughed.

"A reward maybe. But I reckoned such a gift would have required a great feet of heroism." Shirou said, convinced of his argument.

"You are not entirely wrong on that part." Arturia explained, her tone neutral as always. "Firstly, you have risked your life for people you did not even know, on more than one occasion. You even shielded me from an attack. That alone would have earned you a sizable reward. But when it comes to a weapon blessed by the faeries, you are indeed correct. I expected Merlin to enchant it himself, so I was surprised when he revealed what he had planned. When I asked him, he told me that you would prove worthy of the gift in time." She put her fist in her side and looked at Shirou calmly.

"Did he really?" Shirou was surprised by this revelation.

"Merlin possesses the proof of the highest Mage, Clairvoyance. So he must have seen something in your future." Guinevere remarked. "I believe we can expect great things from you."

"I believe so too." Kay nodded, his face all serious.

Shirou felt uncertain in face of their claims. He merely smiled nervously. "Ehh, Thank you for your confidence in me." Shirou looked at them, unsure what to say. "Well..uhm. You know I have been wondering about this for some time now. But Merlin is rather youthful in his behavior for such an old man, is he not? It is quite surprising."

"That is because he is not an old man." Arturia sighed heavily in exasperation, putting her hands in her sides.

"Ah, so. Wait? What do you mean, he is not an old man!?"

"It's quite simple. Merlin is a very childish individual and he loves playing pranks as we have told you before." Arturia shook her head. The others nodded in agreement, with hopeless expressions. "He recently changed his appearance through suggestion magecraft to make himself look like an old man in order to fool people."

"He is a really bad guy." Shirou said softly. He suppressed a yawn. "Anyway. I think I will go to bed."

"A good idea. I think I will too." Arturia said. "Milady Guinevere, will you accompany me?"

"Later, my king. I want to spend some more time talking with sir Kay and sir Ector." Arturia merely nodded. "Good night."

When Arturia and Shirou were inside, Shirou noticed something. "Uhh, Arturia."

"Yes, Shirou?" She stopped and faced him.

"There is a dust bunny hanging in your hair." Shirou looked at the dust bunny hanging from a hair strand which stood straight up. Shirou had noticed it before. He thought that single strand of silly hair to be rather cute.

"Oh." She reached in her hair to brush it off. "Do I have it?"

"No, it's higher up. Wait I'll get it for you. May I?" She nodded. Shirou reached for the bunny.

When Arturia realized where Shirou was reaching, she became alarmed. "Wait! Shirou, don't!"

"Uhh?" Shirou uttered in surprise, but it was too late. He had touched the hair and he suddenly found himself flying through the air and crashing six meter further in an armchair. A moment later, Guinevere, Kay and Ector stormed in after hearing the commotion. There they saw Shirou squirming on top of the toppled armchair, with a worried Arturia trying to help him up.

"What happened?" Ector asked in confusion.

"That is what I want to know." Shirou grumbled as he managed to scramble up with Arturia's help. "I believe she just threw me through the room."

"My king?" Kay asked surprised.

"I am terribly sorry, Shirou. It was a reflex." Arturia reached up and plucked the bunny from her hair. Upon seeing her doing this, an expression of understanding appeared on everybody's face.

Shirou inspected himself. Looks like he wasn't hurt anywhere, aside from some bruises. "What was that all about?" Shirou asked groaning.

"I am terribly sorry. I did not think you would reach for that strand." Arturia sighed, looking all apologetic. Now Shirou thought about it. She threw him the moment he touched that strand of hair, as if he had triggered a conditioned reflex.

"It's okay. It doesn't look like I injured anything serious." Shirou rubbed his side.

"Haha! You touched her hair strand didn't you? Perhaps, we should have warned you about that." Kay laughed, as did Ector. Guinevere chuckled while covering her mouth.

"What's so special about that strand that she would react in such a way?" Shirou was more curious than angry.

"Well. It is a long story." Arturia began. "From before I united the kingdom."

"Indeed. Does the name Rience mean anything to you?" Ector asked, still rather amused.

Rience? Before Arturia united Britain? It indeed rang a bell. "Rience? As in king Rience." As it dawned to Shirou. "Ah, I remember. Wasn't he the one who decorated his robe with the beards of his defeated opponents?"

"Indeed." Arturia confirmed with a firm nod. "One day he send a messenger. In the message which he delivered, he told us how king Rience had conquered eleven other lords and had them swear fealty to him. How king Rience had cut of their beards and used them to decorated his robe." Arturia's expression turned firm as she recalled the events. "King Rience demanded that I would hand over my beard and bow before him ,swearing my undying loyalty. Or else he would kill me and destroy my kingdom"

"I can see how that would have been difficult." Since her body doesn't change ever since she pulled the sword from the stone and, more importantly, her being a girl.

"Indeed. Please don't interrupt." Arturia continued her story. "I said that I had neither beard to give, nor a knee to bow for him. And that it fact, it would be him who would bow before me and that I would separate his head from his person, not just his beard. That was my reply." Arturia smiled with satisfaction.

"As you can imagine, this infuriated king Rience." Ector joined. "And soon the messenger returned with Rience's reply."

"The messenger had described my appearance to his king and upon hearing it, Rience send me his reply. Saying how haughty I was and that he would shave off the hair standing on my head to use it to adorn mine robe!" Arturia continued.

Now it dawned to Shirou. "When he said 'hair', he meant that strand of hair?"

"Obviously." She was slightly annoyed by Shirou's interruption.

"Okay, I apologize for interrupting."

"Apology accepted. Well then, part of the battle that followed became a fight to see whether I could defend my hair or not. And consequentially, I had a duty to protect my strand of hair well, for the sake of my country."

"Indeed. And ever since then her opponents have provoked him by sneering at his hair, threatening to cut it, decorate it with a ribbon and whatnot." Kay explained further. "The battles were long and fierce, but in the end the king won with dignified victory." Arturia's expression was full of pride when Kay finsihed.

"So you see, mister Shirou, how important that one strand of hair is. Not even I am allowed to touch it." Guinevere's tone was dead serious. This was indeed serious, Shirou thought. If not even the queen was allowed to touch it.

"I take it you understand it now?" Arturia asked.

"I understand. I won't touch it again." Shirou promised with a smile. Arturia gave a satisfied nod.

"Thank you for your understanding. This strand is truly important."

"Agreed. I like it too. It looks really cute." Shirou grinned.

"Uhh? Shirou I must ask you not to make jokes like that." Arturia replied in surprise. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks. This did not escape from the others' attention. Especially Kay and Ector seemed pleasantly surprised.

"I think it is about time to grab some sleep." Shirou decided. "Good night to you all."

"Uh, yes. Good night to you." Arturia said as Shirou made his way to his chambers. He felt tired. He recalled what had just transpired. Never could he have imagined how important a single strand of hair could be. He grinned involuntarily. That hair really looked cute on her. Shirou liked it a little here. He would surely treasure the memories he made here. And since he still was going to stay here a little while longer, he figured he should enjoy it to the fullest. Unfortunately for him, he could not know of the troubles and challenges that lied ahead.


	12. Chapter 11

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 11: Infidelity revealed

Shirou awoke in the middle of the night. His arms felt hot. Must be because of his overexertion today. He stood up and went to the water bowl on the table under the window. He put his arms in the water. He sighed from relief. When his arms had cooled down, he went to the dining room. The fire was almost out, so Shirou trew another log from the pile in it and sat himself in front of the fire.

Suddenly door opened and a servant entered. "Oh, Shirou. I am sorry for disturbing you."

"It's alright. I had a little trouble sleeping, that's all." Shirou stretched his arms out. They still felt hot, but it was not unbearable. "Busy with on the late night shift, I see... Uh, what's your name?"

"Nicholas, Shirou. I came to check on the fireplace." He looked at the fire place. "But it seems you have already done so. I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience."

"It's alright, Nicholas." Footsteps could be heard from the hallway. The next moment Merlin entered followed by a female servant.

"Ah, Shirou. Couldn't sleep either, I see." He walked passed Nicholas, giving him a pat on the shoulder while passing and stopped before Shirou.

"Ah, Elsa. How are you tonight?" Nicholas asked bashfully. His cheeks were turning red.

"Good. Thank you, Nicholas." She smiled, equally bashful. "Eh... the headmistress is searching for you. She wants you to help out at the pantry." Shirou had to smile when he saw the two of them talking to each other. Then Merlin snapped his fingers and Shirou shifted his attention towards him.

"Let me guess. You're arms are feeling rather hot." He smiled a bit from exasperation. "That's what happens when you overdo it. Here, drink this." He handed him a vial with some light blue liquid.

Shirou coughed after he drank it. "Yuck. So bitter."

"It will help you recover faster. It will be better in the morning." Merlin stood up and started trough the door. "I bid you good night." Merlin stopped in front of Elsa. "My dear child, would you like to accompany me for a while?" Merlin asked with a little to friendly-looking smile.

Elsa clearly felt what Merlin's intentions were. "Maybe for a little while. But no funny things, alright?" Elsa warned. Merlin accepted, smiling mischievously. He will certainly try.

"Good night." Nicholas said as he closed the door. When Shirou noticed how Nicholas was glaring at Merlin's back, he had to suppress a grin.

The next morning, Shirou was eating his breakfast in the mess hall, his bow was resting against the table. His arms were no longer burning. Merlin's potion had clearly worked. Though they felt a bit stiff, Shirou reckoned it would not be of much hindrance.

"Good morning." Shirou turned around. Tristan with his usual melancholic expression and Gawain, with a goodhearted smile. "Did you have a good night's sleep?" Tristan asked. Shirou nodded in response. "That is good to hear."

"Shirou, Mordred and Merlin wanted us to tell you that the training will be canceled today." Gawain informed him,

"Really? That is convenient, cause I was planning to test out the bow today." Shirou was a little eager to test how powerful it was. He had planned to ask leave from Mordred, but it looks like that is no longer necessary. "Did they say why it was canceled?"

"Not really. But I know it is because Mordred and Agravain had something really important to tell." Gawain said with a brooding, even worried expression.

"In any case, Shirou, we expected you to want to test your bow out today. So we got up early and prepared a little something for you." Tristan replied cryptic. Gawain had stopped his brooding and grinned. "Would you accompany us?"

"Sure. Give me a sec." Shirou quickly finished his plate and cleared the table. Then he followed them to the stables. There stood three horses ready. They carried saddle bags with rations and quivers. Two of them had bows on them.

"We have prepared some targets on the wide plains, the seas of grass. After that we will go for some hunting." Tristan explained. "Now then. Shall we go?"

"Yes. Let's go." Shirou said enthusiastically. Soon they had arrived at the plains and when Shirou looked around he saw a few targets standing at different distances. "This is the place?"

"Indeed." Gawain and Tristan dismounted. "Don't look so disappointed. These are not the only targets." Gawain pointed into the distance. Shirou strengthened his eyes and saw several more targets standing on the next hill. At least a thousand meters further.

"Uhhh. Hey, hey. There is no way we can hit a target from this distance with a bow." Shirou was clearly stunned. "It would require a rifle to hit something at that distance."

"You are mistaken, Shirou. It is true that one cannot hit such a target with a 'normal' bow. However, let us not forget that your bow is not a normal one." Tristan's tone was one of amusement. "According to Merlin, it should be easy with this bow." Shirou looked at the targets in the distance nervously. Are thy really expecting him to hit those targets from here?

"Shall we begin?" Gawain clasped his hands together. He and Tristan took their bows and quivers. Shirou followed their example. "Who shall be first?"

"Since we arranged this for Shirou, I say he should go first." Tristan suggested.

"True. Alright, Shirou. You are first." Gawain conceded. Shirou took position in front of the target. The target was made from hay, supported by wooden beams. Pretty standard. Then Gawain and Shirou noticed Tristan's bow. A completely normal looking bow. They looked at each other in questioning.

"Is there something wrong?" Tristan inquired. Both shook their heads.

"Okay then. Let's give it a try." Shirou readied his bow. He raised it up and nocked the arrow. Then he drew it as he brought the bow down again. Typical Japanese archery style. He aimed for the target. It stood approximately twenty-five meters away. Shirou felt power welling up inside the bow and arrow. He let the arrow loose.

The result was stunning. The arrow was launched with tremendous power. Shirou was certain that it had just broken the sound barrier. And when the arrow hit the target dead center, it was simply blown apart. The arrow continued further until it buried itself in the next hill.

They all whistled in unison. "I don't think this bow is really suited for hunting." Tristan commented with a dead serious expression.

"Agreed!" Shirou and Gawain responded in unison. They looked at each other, then they burst into laughter. Well, Gawain did and even the usually sad Tristan. Shirou merely smiled.

"Maybe you and Tristan should go first from now on." Shirou suggested.

"Good idea." Gawain took his bow and aimed for the next target, which stood at twice the distance of the previous one. "So Shirou. Do you know what went wrong?"

"I am not sure. When drew, I felt energy flow through the bow." Shirou pondered. Gawain let loose and hit the target near the edge. "I think the key is to adjust the amount of energy using my magical energy. Maybe if I focus on it. Considering the distance, that was a pretty nice shot, Gawain."

"Argh. I am not really fond of using a bow. And Tristan is master," Gawain grumbled as he stepped a side to let Tristan take his shot.

"True enough. We are knights. Fencing is our bread and butter. But knowing how to use a bow is still necessary." Tristan commented as he took aim. "Just as all living things need water, so does any decent army need archers." Tristan loosed the arrow. He hit the target dead center. "Alright. Your turn again, Shirou. And try not to destroy the target again." Tristan patted Shirou on the back. "A piece of advise: Think of nothing but your bow, the arrow and the target."

"I'll try." Shirou sighed as looked at the target and took aim. He reinforced his eyes as he aimed. When he drew, he felt the energy well up. Shirou didn't let the arrow loose yet. He focused on the bow, on the flowing energy.

_Concentrate. Try to adjust the bows power_. He could feel the energy lessen. When he deemed the energy low enough, he fired. The arrow flew with tremendous speed at the target and hit the target dead center. It pierced the target up to the feathers. Shirou smiled at his successful shot.

"Well done, Shirou." Tristan nodded in approval as he and Gawain applauded. "Marvelous shot."

"Indeed. And the target is still intact too. If it goes like this, you should have a good feel for the bow before the evening." Gawain commented enthusiastically.

They practiced a few more hours on the first group of targets. Tristan hit the second and third target, which stood at one hundred meters distance. With perfect accuracy. Gawain hit the second target reasonably well, but missed the third almost all the time. Shirou, in the meantime, was getting more and more accustomed to regulating the bow's power. He hit all the targets dead center, not missing once.

"That was some fine shooting." Tristan declared as he drank some water from his flagon.

"Speak for yourself." Gawain was a little disappointed by how poorly he did, compared to Shirou and Tristan. "Well, it was to be expected. I have never been good at archery." He sighed. "Now that we had some practice … . Shirou, why don't you try using the bow's full power?" Gawain suggested as he pointed towards the targets on the next hill.

"Why not? Let's see what it can do." Just how powerful will this bow prove to be? "Here I go." Shirou nocked an arrow and drew. He upped the power a little and reinforced his eyes.

"By the way, Shirou. The way you draw your bow. It's not like we are familiar with." This question was on Tristan's mind for a while now.

"Ah, yes. This is the traditional Japanese style of archery." Shirou explained.

"It's elegant like a swan." Tristan praised it. Shirou loosed the arrow. Again it flew to the target with tremendous speed, breaking the sound barrier. The target was not entirely destroyed, but there was a serious hole in the center.

"Did you hit it?" Gawain asked. He and Tristan could not use magic, so they could not strengthen their eyes in order to see far distances.

"I did. The arrow blew a hole in the center." Shirou marveled at the result, since he knew he didn't use it's full power. "I am going to try to unleash it's full power." He decided.

"Ohh. That is something we want to witness. Right, Gawain?" Tristan patted Gawain's shoulder. Gawain nodded firmly. Their faces were now showing pure excitement.

"Alright then." Shirou scoured the distance. He noticed a large bolder which was approximately four kilometers away. The furthest distance at which Shirou was able to distinguish things with his strengthened eyes. "That bolder over there." He pointed.

"We shall have go and see the result up-close later." Gawain shook his head.

"That would be best, yeah." Shirou grinned sheepishly. Then he put up a serious face. He nocked another arrow and took aim. He focused on building up power within the bow. At one point, the bow began to feel warmer as the energy build up. Shirou reckoned he was nearing the limit. So he stopped building up power before the bow became too hot to hold.

"Ready?"

"As we'll ever be." Gawain responded. Shirou exhaled and fired. The arrow blasted trough the sound barrier. And when it reached the rocked, it hit with such force that the arrow simply exploded, leaving a large crack in the rock behind.

"Well?" Tristan asked, bursting with curiosity.

"I think the arrow exploded from the force of the impact." Shirou was unsure, since he couldn't see it clearly from here. "Shall we go take a look up close?"

"I guess it's necessary." Gawain replied. He was already sitting the saddle. Ten minutes later, they had reached the bolder. When they saw the large crack in the bolder, they could only bring up a dumb grin of amazement.

"Incredible." Gawain whispered. They dismounted. As they scoured the ground around the bolder, they found bits and pieces of the arrow. The shaft was reduced to splinters, but they could not find the tip.

"Did you find the tip already?" Gawain asked.

"Not yet." Shirou replied. Then a thought occurred to him. "Wait! I think I know where it is. Come here."

Tristan and Gawain walked up to Shirou, who stood in front of the rock. He was trying to peek inside the crack.

Tristan and Gawain looked at each other. "Do you really think ...?" Gawain questioned softly.

For a moment, a ray of sunlight lit up the inside of the crack and Shirou saw the glimmer of metal deep inside of it. "I no longer think. I know it now." Shirou looked at them with a broad grin. Then they all started laughing.

They had originally planned to go hunting after the shooting practice, but after Shirou's demonstration, they were satisfied. So they returned to Camelot after eating their rations. It was afternoon when they almost had reached Camelot.

"That was some fine shooting. The power of that bow is truly tremendous." Tristan was impressed.

"I know. Look we are almost back. What do you think? Does it equal Failnaught?" Gawain looked at Tristan curiously.

"In terms of range it most certainly does." Tristan was struggling thought about it. "In terms of destructive power not so much. I would like to talk about something else." Something Shirou had said came to mind. "Say, Shirou. There is something I would like to ask you. Something about what you said earlier."

Shirou looked at Tristan. "Sure, go ahead."

Tristan nodded. "What is a rifle?" Shirou was a little surprised at the question. But more because he had expected it sooner.

"Hmm. I would like to know too." Gawain had forgotten with all the excitement from Shirou's demonstration.

Shirou scratched the back of his head as he tried to figure out how to explain it. "Well, it is ranged weapon." He began. "The basic principle is simple. You have a metal tube with one side closed off. The bottom is filled with an explosive powder. Then a projectile is put in. When the powder is ignited, the explosion hurdles the projectile through the tube with great force."

"Sounds powerful." Gawain commented.

"It is. In my age, it is the basic weapon for all armies in the entire world." Shirou continued.

"Interesting. How fast can one shoot with them? How far?" Tristan was really eager now.

"Well, that depends. If you are talking about small arms, that is those that are man portable, they can shoot … ." He paused for a moment as he thought. "When it comes to range … anywhere from close up to more than 2000 yards."

"Impossible!" Gawain replied stunned. "One can not distinguish anything from that distance."

"Normally that is true. But have you ever heard of lenses?" Shirou inquired.

"Lenses? Yes, of course. They allow one who's eyesight has deteriorated to read better." Gawain put his index finger and thumb close together and held them in front of his eye.

"Indeed. Lenses can also be used to created tools which can allow one to see things from great distances."

"I see." Gawain nodded in understanding.

"And as for how fast they can fire, some can fire hundreds of times for every one time a skilled archer can fire a bow." Tristan whistled. "The projectiles are also many times faster than arrows. So I hate to say it, but if you should ever face someone carrying a gun, which luckily will never happen, you would do well to take cover. Otherwise you'll be filled with holes before you can even reach him."

"The way you explain it, it seems to be a formidable weapon." Gawain sounded displeased. "And a cowards weapon."

"I can't really agree with that. Because then you could consider everybody who has ever used a ranged weapon a coward." Tristan replied shaking his head. "I take that the natural the principle was also applied to the artillery?"

Shirou nodded. "Indeed. The principle was first applied to artillery. They are called cannons and they can hit targets many miles away. Later models could fire projectiles that exploded on impact."

"Devastating." Tristan could only imagine what it would be like.

"True. There was this one war in which artillery played a truly massive role. During this war, there were artillery barrages so intense that they changed the entire landscape. I saw some historical images. The artillery shells created fiery explosions that dig deep craters into the ground. And should you get hit, or even if the projectile hit a couple of meters further, your body would be torn to pieces, if not disappear entirely."

Tristan and Gawain were accustomed to war, but what Shirou told them brought a shiver down their spine. Shirou had to shiver himself.

"But it took a long while before they got that sophisticated. When gunpowder reached these lands, that is the name of the powder that made those weapons possible, which was I think in the fifteenth … or was that fourteenth century? Not sure. They did n't knew how to make a proper weapon at first." Shirou reassured them. "I know that the first cannons were made by bell-makers. They would fire a stone or iron projectile and took very long to reload. They also had a fair chance of exploding in your face. Nevertheless, when the cannons appeared the castle wall became obsolete. Weapons like the catapult and trebuchet were the first to be replaced. The bow and arrow still remained active for a long time, since it took a several centuries before a man-portable gun could somewhat compete with it."

"Sounds like wars will change drastically in the future." Gawain made a difficult face. When they finally arrived at the village they saw that it was almost in an uproar.

"What is going on here?" Tristan said cursing. They were shocked to see the village in such chaos. Tristan dismounted and grabbed a villager by the arm. "What is happening?" Tristan asked urgent.

"Ye haven't yet heard then, sir?" The man sounded agitated. "Word has just spread. It has been revealed that the Queen has been unfaithful to the king."

"What?!" Gawain rode next to them. Shirou too, was shocked, but not surprised. "That can not be. Are you saying the queen has had an affair?"

The man nodded fiercely. "Ay, Sir! And what is worse, the one she had an affair with was none other than Sir Lancelot!"

Tristan released the man and looked at Gawain. His expression showed clear denial and confusion. This can not be true. It could not be true. For Gawain too, it was inconceivable.

"Back into the saddle!" Gawain urged Tristan. As soon as Tristan was back in the saddle they rode towards Camelot with all speed. When they arrived, they immediately noticed the charged and tense atmosphere.

When they arrived at the throne room, they found Merlin. He turned around as they entered. They all looked at him with questioning eyes. Merlin nodded. His eyes full of sadness. "I take it you would want to speak to the king about what has happened."

They all nodded. Merlin sighed. "Follow me." They followed Merlin silently as they made their way to the library.

"How was it discovered?" Gawain asked silently.

"Mordred and Agravain discovered it and subsequently revealed it." Merlin replied sadly. "Guinevere is currently imprisoned in the dungeon."

"How? How did this happen!?" Tristan knew the reason. The king doesn't understand how others feel. But still it was quite the shock.

"Oh, I reckon there are a number of reasons. One of them being love. I always stress the importance of love, but it can cause ... unwanted situations." Merlin shook his head. "The king is planning on pardoning Sir Lancelot."

Inside the library they found Ector, Kay, Bedivere, Galahad and Arturia seated at a table. The atmosphere was heavy.

"Ah, Merlin. I see that you brought sir Tristan, sir Gawain and Shirou with you." Arturia spoke calmly. Her face was completely calm, not showing any emotions.

"I have been thinking about the current situation, but I have the feeling that you have already made your decision." Merlin replied. Arturia merely nodded.

"Lady Guinevere will be executed within four days." Bedivere declared heavily. The others remained silent. Kay just stared at the table with a sad and exasperated look in his eyes. Ector was frowning and Galahad was just not sure how to react.

'Executed?!' Shirou turned pale at those words. He thought back of the time he spend with Guinevere. While they had only spoken with each other on a few occasions, he found her a gentle and kindhearted person. It was simply wrong! Was there nothing he could do?

"Does she have to be executed? Is there no other way?" Shirou asked uncertain.

"Shirou. Adultery is already a serious matter, which is punished harshly when it comes to the common people." Gawain explained. He looked sad, but also angry. "But since lady Guinevere is the queen, it basically amounts to high treason." Shirou looked at Gawain and then looked at the others, at a loss for words. "I hear it was Sir Lancelot who courted the queen. Is this true?" Gawain gritted his teeth.

"Unfortunately it is." Ector declared with a deep sigh. "A truly regrettable fact."

"Sir Lancelot. How dare he." Gawain muttered with clenched jaws.

"Enough. This meeting is adjourned." Arturia declared calmly as she stood up.

"Then I will take my leave." Gawain saluted and started to leave the room. As did Tristan, who felt disheartened from what just happened, laid his hand on Shirou's shoulder.

"Shirou, you should go too." Tristan said softly.

"Does it have to be this way?" Shirou blurted out. It was wrong to execute Guinevere and Shirou was determined to change the king's mind. "Arturia, I know you feel the same about this. As the king you surely can ..."

"Shirou!" Ector interrupted him. His eyes were filled with sadness. "We all feel sad about what has transpired, but it must be done."

"He is right, Shirou." Gawain's voice was trembling slightly. "As sad as it may be, it is the law." He sighed and then left with Tristan following him.

"Still I won't accept this. Your highness. We both know why this happened, therefore you can't do this. I know you don't want to do this, so please ..." Yes. This happened because Arturia was forced to hide her gender. Shirou knew that. It was obvious when you think about it. So it is partially her fault too.

"Shirou, I am the king. And as the king I have to be the first one to follow the law." Arturia showed no emotions. Not in her expression, nor in her voice. "Further more, it also means that I cannot let my personal feelings get in the way. What is expected of me is my decision as a king, nothing else."

Merlin laid his hand upon Shirou's shoulder. "My king, are you certain about your decision? Perhaps we can come to a different solution."

"I am sorry, Merlin, but it has to be done." Arturia stood up and left without saying another word.

"It seems that the king will not change his mind." Merlin said with a sad voice.

Some time later. Shirou was sitting on a bench in the terrace garden. The execution of Guinevere. He knew this to be a part of the legend. If he remembered correctly, Guinevere shall be saved by Lancelot. Indeed, during the execution Lancelot shall storm the execution and save Guinevere. And several knights shall lose their lives.

"Hoy, Shirou." Shirou turned around. There stood Mordred, waving casually as if nothing was wrong. "Judging from your expression, I reckon that you know of what has transpired." Mordred sounded content.

"Why? Why did you do it?"

Mordred tilted his head and sighed from annoyance. "The queen had an affair with sir Lancelot. It was something that could not be forgiven. It was the right thing to do. And to be honest it was Sir Agravain who revealed it. I was merely present." Shirou could not help but notice the sneering mixed inside her voice. Then Shirou realized, somehow, that this was done in order to hurt the king.

"Do you resent Arturia that much?"

Mordred fell silent for a moment. Then he responded with a cold voice. "I do."

"Mordred. Does Guinevere have to die just so you can satisfy your hatred?" Mordred remained silent. Shirou could feel his gaze piercing him. "You know I come from the future, right? I know of the legend of king Arthur and which part you play in it. During the short time I spend with you, I can tell in the very least that you are not an evil person. So why?"

"Because I hate him. The perfect king? Ha, I am the only one who is fit for the throne." Mordred's voice trembled slightly. "Shirou, since you know of my father's legend, you also know of what will happen. I don't harbor you any ill will, but I warn you not to interfere. This neither your country nor era. I say this because I have taken some measure of liking to you." Mordred's voice had become calm again. He turned around and left. Shirou looked as he walked off. He reckoned that Mordred must be carrying a lot of anger with him.

After a while Shirou went to make a stroll through the castle until he arrived on the roof. The roof was merely a large rectangle space bordered by ramparts. He kept thinking about what would happen in five days. There must be something he can do? Then he suddenly spotted Lancelot on the far side of the roof. He was gazing at the sunset.

"Sir Lancelot." Shirou called out to him. Lancelot turned around. His face expressing only sadness.

"Shirou. How are you?" His voice was likewise filled with sadness, but was nevertheless surprisingly calm. "How can I be of service to you?"

Shirou hesitated for a moment, not really knowing what to say. "Actually, I wanted to help you. And the queen too, of course. Do you know of a way by which we could change the king's mind?" Lancelot merely smiled sadly.

"I am afraid not."

"Look we both know that Arturia would not want to execute her either, but she just keeps denying her own feelings. We should try to prevent her from doing something that she will come to regret." Shirou was hoping Lancelot might know of a way.

"I doubt the king will change his mind." Lancelot's tone indicated that he had already resigned himself to it. Then his voice suddenly grew heavy with grief, "I tried, but I could not stop myself from loving Guinevere."

"Sir Lancelot. You are planning to rescue the queen from the execution, are you not?" Shirou knew the legend, thus he knew what will happen during the execution. Lancelot looked at him, mildly surprised. "Lancelot, let us try to free the queen before the execution." An idea was forming in Shirou's mind. And he believe that it just might work, ... with a little luck.

"You want to rescue her before the execution? How? We would have to fight all the guards and knights in the castle." Lancelot smiled faintly. "I appreciate what you are trying to do, but the only way I can think of is to free her during the execution, when there is a clear escape route." Lancelot walked to Shirou and laid his hands on his shoulders. "You are a good person, Emiya Shirou. You should keep your distance from the execution platform when the time comes." And he left. Shirou gritted his teeth in frustration. Why is everyone accepting this?

"I wont let this happen." Shirou declared. He was determined to prevent the execution.


	13. Chapter 12

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 12: Escape in the dead of night

The next day Shirou marched towards Merlin's tower. Shirou was frustrated about how nobody tried to change the kings mind. He was also angry about how people were talking about Guinevere. 'Traitor queen' and 'whore' were some of the more mild insults Shirou had heard. He arrived at the Merlin's door and knocked.

"Enter." Merlin called. "Ah, Shirou. Good morning to you." Merlin greeted Shirou with a sas smile.

"Really? What is so good about it, considering the situation?" Shirou replied, a bit more roughly than he intended.

Merlin sighed. "I know. But the decision has been made." In this kind of situation, even Merlin's spirit was damped.

"Merlin, she will come to regret this. We know that she does not want to execute Guinevere."

"I know. But she will do it regardless. She has sworn to uphold the law and chivalry. A king cannot let his personal feelings and desires stand in the way of his duty. … Even when it is for good." Merlin walked over to the bookcase. That is when Shirou saw the opening in the wall.

"Merlin?"

"Yes, Shirou?"

"What is that opening in the wall?" Shirou pointed at the opening in the wall. "Is that a secret passage?" Merlin rushed over to close the opening.

"Indeed it is. Looks like I forgot to close it." Merlin pulled on a torch which was attached to the wall. It was in fact the lever to open and close the door. "There are quite a few of them throughout the castle. They are intended to evacuate the castle, should the worst come to pass. But I am pretty sure the king would never sneak out like that." Merlin grinned. "I doubt they will ever serve as anything but handy shortcuts."

Merlin returned to the bookcase. He sighed heavy. "It is truly unfortunate. I wish that I could change the king's mind. But as the king, she must be the first one to uphold the law or she can not expect her subjects to do the same." Merlin said as he rummaged through the books.

"Say, if the king is a girl, how can she be a 'father'? Shirou changed the subject as he examined Merlin's workshop.

"Oh, that. That would be because of me. You see, a king must have an heir. So to that end I temporarily turned her in a pseudo-male. And Morgan took advantage of that." Merlin told him as he kept searching.

Shirou spotted Merlin's bag, lying open on a stool. In it he saw, what he remembered to be a sleeping potion. _Maybe … I can still prevent this._

Merlin was still distracted and Shirou seized the opportunity and took the vial with the yellow liquid and hid it under his tunic.

"I must admit that sounds a bit weird." Shirou found it even a bit disturbing, actually.

"But why the sudden interest?" Merlin turned around, eying Shirou with some suspicion.

"It was something I was wondering about for while now. Since I was here anyway ..." Shirou let out a sigh. "I was really hoping that you would know of a way to change the king's mind, but it seems I only wasted your time. I shall leave you to your business then." Shirou tried too sound as if had given up.

"I am sorry that I could not do anything." Merlin sighed. He looked as Shirou closed the door behind him, then he returned to searching his books.

Shirou had to move fast. He had only four days until the execution. The secret passageways would be key to his plan. There was no place for doubt. Shirou might not think everything through, but he was stubborn as they come. True, when Shirou put his mind to something, nothing could budge him.

As Shirou walked through the hallway he encountered Gawain. There were two others following him. "Ah, mister Shirou. How fare you?" Gawain greeted him. He sounded a bit frustrated though.

"Fine, everything considered." Shirou eyed the two other knights. They had features very similar too Gawain's even sporting the some light-curling dark-blond hair and aqua colored eyes. One was about the same age as Gawain, the other was about ten years younger.

"Let me introduce you to my brothers." Gawain smiled proudly. "This is Gareth and that is Gaheris." He motioned at the oldest and youngest knight respectively.

"A pleasure to meet you, Emiya Shirou." Gareth said as he bowed. Gaheris did the same. "We wish to show our gratitude for saving our brother's live."

"And as such we thank you, Emiya Shirou." Gaheris finished. "We hope we can repay you someday."

"Thank you." Shirou extended his hand. "I am pleased to meet you too."

Gareth and Gaheris returned the handshake. "If I may ask. Is it true that you came from the future?" Gaheris tried to suppress his curiosity, but to no avail.

"It is. I had some difficulty believing it myself. One moment I was at home, preparing to go to sleep, the next thing I know I found myself here. It was quite overwhelming."

"Who would not be. But I am grateful for your arrival. Who knows what would have happened to our brother if you had not been there." Gareth grinned. "If there is anything you need help with, let us know."

"Thank you. And there is something you could help me with. Could you tell me where they are holding Guinevere? I would like to talk to her."

"She is in the dungeon of course." Gawain said with a strained voice. "Damn him, sir Lancelot. How could he have betrayed the king like that. Unforgivable!"

"But brother, the king has already pardoned him, did he not?" Gareth said with a sad voice.

"True, brother. But that doesn't mean that I have forgiven him. He had sworn an oath to the king and he broke it when he had an affair with the queen. As a knight who has sworn the same oath, I simply cannot forgive him!" Gawain was doing his utmost to contain his anger.

"I know brother, but the king wouldn't have forgiven him without a good reason." Gaheris laid his hand on Gawain's shoulder. Then he looked at Shirou. "We all feel betrayed and disappointed, mister Shirou. Even now, I have difficulty believing what has happened. My brother has confronted sir Lancelot a little while ago. It was not pretty. Brother, I will show mister Shirou to the queen. Why don't you grab some ale to calm down?"

"Not a bad idea." Gawain's anger had subsided for a moment. But now his voice was filled with sadness. "This whole ordeal is taxing on everybody. It is sad that the queen must be executed, but it is the law. Shirou, I wish you good day, for so far as that goes." Gawain left, followed by Gareth.

"Please follow me, mister Shirou." Gaheris started down the hallway, closely followed by Shirou.

"So, I hear that you can create weapons with your magic." Gaheris began after they had walked for a few minutes.

"Indeed, I do. It made my body feel like it was burning, the first time I made a weapon. The same happened when I overdo it. Merlin said that it was because I had used magic circuits which have been dormant up until then." Indeed, that was an unpleasant feeling last night. "You know, I was hoping to persuade the king to cancel the execution."

""It is unfortunate." Gaheris rubbed his eyes. "But the king shall not change his mind."

"Gaheris, I heard that people say that the king does not understand human feelings. Do many people feel the same?" Gaheris stopped and looked at Shirou. His expression was one of uncertainty and unease.

"Mister Shirou, let me tell you that king Arthur is the greatest king there is. Those that follow him, including me, are truly privileged to serve him." Gaheris paused for a moment as if to find the right words. "So it pains me to say this, but yes. It is true and I must confess that I feel the same. The king … I don't know anyone who has ever seen the king smile or cry. Not even Sir Bedivere who has spend more time in his presence than anybody else. Neither has the king ever acted based on his own feelings. It … it is a mistake."

Gaheris walked over too a large reinforced door. "This is the main entrance to the dungeon. You may ask the jailer to bring you before the queen. I suggest that you don't stay too long. I wish you a good day, further." Gaheris saluted and left.

"Say, sir Gaheris."

Gaheris stopped and turned around. "Yes? Is there something you still wish to say?"

"Yes. What the king does is a mistake, but did anybody ever try to confront her with it?" Shirou looked at Gaheris with discontent. "If the king did not realize her mistake, then you people should have told her. Tell me if I am wrong, but is it not a knight's duty to be truthful to their king?"

Gaheris opened his mouth to answer. He wanted to give Shirou a retort, but no words came out. What Shirou just said has had such a severe impact on him, that it left him speechless. No, that was not it. He simply realized that Shirou was right. He, as many others, believed that it was a mistake. But no one ever said anything to the king. Gaheris averted his gaze end left. Shirou watched him for a moment, before he entered the dungeon.

Shirou started down a rather wide spiral staircase. When he reached the bottom, he came before another large reinforced door with a barred window. Shirou knocked on it. "Is someone there!?"

"Who is there?" A large, bald guard arrived. Shirou judged him too be in his mid-forty's. "Hmmm, wait a bloody minute. Ain't ye that Emiya-guy?"

"Yes, that is me. I would like to visit the queen." Shirou asked politely.

"For what purpose?" The guard asked. He squinted his eyes with suspicion.

"She has been kind to me for the short time I have been here. So I would just like to talk to her. And there are also some things I would like to ask her." Shirou said with a sad voice.

"Well, I suppose there is no harm in just talking." The guard opened the door. "But I do ask ye to keep it short. A few minutes, nothing more." When Shirou entered, the guard closed the door behind them.

They passed through the guardroom. Only one other guard was present at the moment. He had a dirty face and long, black hair. Apparently they were playing dice before Shirou interrupted them.

"Ah Benger, whoso is our visitor?" The man asked.

"Humph, let me introduce ye to mister Shirou. The famous visitor from a far away land."

"Ah, I thought as much. What brings ye 'ere, mister Shirou?" He gave him an annoyed glance.

"I just want to talk to the queen a bit." Shirou stated calmly.

"Ah, the traitor queen." He stood up and grabbed the keyring. Shirou felt a sting of anger when he said 'traitor queen'. "Ye interrupted our game just when I was about to win." He complained.

"I am sorry." Shirou looked around, but he could not see any traces of other guards. "Not many guards here, or am I mistaken?"

"Nope. Just us two." Benger said with obvious boredom. "The dungeons has been empty for a while now. And with only the queen here … . It's a shame really. She is such a kind person." Benger took the key's from Humph. Shirou looked at the keys with great attention. "This way."

Shirou followed him through another heavy, reinforced door. They passed through a corridor which branched of in to several others. Each corridor gave access to large cells, each capable of containing at least ten people. At the end of the corridor was another staircase which went even further down. At the bottom was another heavy, reinforced door. Benger took a key and opened it.

"Don't take too long. I will return to fetch ye." He said with disinterest.

"Alright." Shirou went inside and Benger closed the door behind him. Shirou could hear him going up the stairs. Shirou stood inside a narrow corridor, lined with cells, just big enough too hold one person each.

_Now is my chance._ He placed his hand on the wall. "Trace on." Shirou was going to analyze the layout from the dungeon, just like he did during the fire at the inn. If luck was with him he would find a secret passage nearby. He sent his magical energy into the wall. It was much tougher then before, considering the size of the castle.

"Come on! Please." Shirou gritted his teeth and then he found it. In the upper dungeon, at the end of the last branching corridor, there was secret passage. Shirou put in more power to expand his range. Sweet was forming on his forehead, but he could sense that the passage went outside the castle. Luck was with him. He now knew he had a possible way out. Further more he had seen the keys. Shirou had learned that he could project a copy of every item he has seen. Shirou was getting excited. His plan might just work.

"Hmmm, who is there?" A soft voice called out. Shirou moved in the direction of the voice. And there she was. Guinevere's was chained to the wall. Her dress and face were dirty. A small amount of hay and a ragged piece of cloth for blanket served as a 'bed'. That and a bucket was the only 'furniture'. "MShirou, too what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I am here to visit you because I wanted to talk, and to tell you something."

"Oh, what is it that you want to talk about?" Shirou noticed how bloodshot her eyes were. She has obviously been crying.

"Now I am here, I am not sure myself." Shirou scratched the back of his head and sat himself down in front of her. "This is a mess indeed."

"I know. And it is all my fault. I betrayed the king and I misguided the perfect knight. When I became the queen, I understood that I had to play that role. Giving up any chance for love, for the sake of the country." She started crying softly. "This is all my fault."

"No, not completely. Arturia is at fault too." Shirou's voice was dead serious. "This happened because the king did not fulfill her duty as a husband, right?"

"You are still referring to the king as a she? Stubborn aren't you?" She managed a faint smile. "Even so, I should have never done it. You know I had always suspected her to be a girl. A fact that I eventually realized the more time I spend with her. How did you know?"

"I simply knew that she was a girl when I saw her. But I admit, you could mistake her for a beautiful boy." Shirou grinned. "They all believe her to be male, but you said it yourself, the king was not exactly a good husband. I reckon you ehh … have never slept in the same bed together, let alone seen each other ...errrm, naked."

Guinevere's smirked at seeing Shirou's embarrassed face. It is true. She never has seen the king completely bare, let alone shared the same bed. She also recalled how cautious the king was whenever she took a bath. "Not really surprising. When Lancelot and I came together, we wanted to discus how we could support her? And before we had realized it we had fallen in love with each other."

"I thought so. Look, before I go I have to tell you something. We both know that Arturia doesn't want to see you die either, and that she is only doing this because it is the king's duty." Shirou sighed. "Mistakes had been made, but it is wrong for you to be executed because of it." Then Shirou heard a door open and footsteps approaching. He leaned closer to her and whispered. "What I want to say is, don't give up hope." Guinevere gave him a sad smile, as if to say that it was alright. The door went open and Benges stepped in.

"Time to leave. Are ye finished?"

"Yes. Goodbye, milady Guinevere." Shirou gave her a reassuring smile and left.

_There is a secret passage nearby the queen's cell. Excellent. Now I just need to discover were it leads to._ Now he needed to find the exit. But for now he will think about how to put those guards to sleep without getting caught.

After eating some lunch, he went to the trainings hall. There he found Mordred resting on a bench. Shirou walked over to him.

"Hello, sir Mordred." Shirou greeted him rather friendly. "Care for a sparring match?"

Mordred was mildly surprised. "Heee? I was not expecting that. Are you not angry at me anymore?"

"I am still somewhat angry. I just wanted to talk with you while we are at it, without being disturbed."

"I see. You are the kind of person who forgives rather easily." Mordred chuckles. "Fine, I will spar with you. I rather enjoyed training you." Mordred stood up and grabbed a trainings sword. Shirou entered the ring and projected one in his hand.

"Your magecraft is very useful indeed. You would never have to worry about losing your sword in battle. But do you think it will be enough?" Shirou could feel Mordred grinning rather menacingly. "Ready? Here I come."

Mordred closed the distance and gave a loose swing at Shirou. Shirou blocked it with some effort. Even if it was a loose swing, Mordred was incredibly strong for someone of his stature. Several more swings followed. Mordred had reverted to the way of fighting he had used during Shirou's training. He was not using that savage fighting style Shirou had witnessed during the forest ambush.

"Mordred, uh may I call you just Mordred?"

Mordred stopped attacking for a moment. "Hmmm. You may." Mordred did not really care about such a triviality. "So, what was it that you wishes to discuss with me?"

"Well, I have already asked this, but … Would you want to see the queen executed?"

Mordred sighed from sheer annoyance. "This again? Look, Shirou. It is no secret to you that I dislike the king." He spoke softly as he executed another diagonal swing. "And while I don't despise the queen, I don't really mind her being executed either. True, I did reveal her affair with sir Lancelot. But she brought this onto herself and she knows it."

"I think the king is partially responsible as well. From what I have heard the king was not exactly a great husband. Well, not really surprising, considering the king is a girl."

Mordred laughed. "Are you still going on about that too? You really are a stubborn guy. I mean, I already suspected as much, but I feel I still have to see the full extent of your stubbornness."

"And I am surprised by how nobody seems to notice it." Which reminded Shirou of something as he said that. "By the way, Mordred. I was thinking about this for a while now, but your voice sounds a bit like the king's, a bit feminine. Are you per chance also a ..." Shirou did not finished the question. Mordred had fallen silent and was looking at him with an intense glare. He was definitely angry. Looks like Shirou hit a sensitive spot. "Sorry. Forget what I just wanted to ask." Shirou quickly apologized.

Mordred's anger subside. "You are forgiven, but don't dare to insinuate such a thing again." Mordred warned. "I must say that your skills have not improved much. I would say that this style of fighting is not suited for you."

"I was told this before. Thanks for talking, but I still have some things to do." Shirou sword disintegrated. "Perhaps we could continue the match some other time."

"When the mood is better." Mordred walked away. Shirou made his way to the west side of the castle. He stopped inside a small room. If he remembered correctly he was now above the entrance of the passage. He placed his hand on the floor. "Trace on." The passage was carved inside the rock and led outside of the castle. Shirou increased the power. He saw that the passage led too the base of the cliff-formation. Shirou whipped the sweet from his brow. Now he needed to go to the base of the cliff in order to follow the rest of the passage.

It took some time too reach the base of the cliff. Once there, he repeated the process. The passage went on for a mile or so, and it was just wide enough too let two people walk side by side. After an hour or so he reached a small forest patch. In the middle of was a large bolder, from which one side was completely flat. After performing another 'scan' he found the mechanism to open it. In a crack covered with moss, was a hidden lever. Shirou removed the moss and pulled the lever. In the center of the flat rock-face, the hidden door opened with a loud grinding sound. The opening was just big enough for one person. Shirou promptly closed the door again and returned to Camelot.

Now he just had to convince Lancelot to meet him there. The sun was already setting when Shirou returned.

"Hay, Shirou. Where have ye been?" One of the guards asked when Shirou passed through.

"I was taking a walk to clear my mind. You know, with all that has happened." Shirou explained.

"Aye. I know what ye means. It was quite the shock for all of us. I wish ye a pleasant evening." The guard saluted.

"You to. Keep up the good work." Now to contact Lancelot. Maybe servant would know were he was.

Shirou addressed the first one he found, who happened to be Nicholas. "Hoi, Nicholas. How are you?"

"Fine, Shirou. And how are you, today?" Nicholas responded with a smile.

"Everything is fine. By the way, can you tell me were I can find sir Lancelot?"

"I believe I saw him going to the roof earlier. He has been spending much time there ever since the queen was imprisoned." Nicholas shook his head.

"Thank you, Nicholas." Shirou said as he departed.

"Your welcome." Nicholas grinned.

And yes, Lancelot was on the roof, gazing at the sunset. Okay, let's do this. He walked up to him. "Sir Lancelot."

Lancelot turned around. "Shirou. Come to try to persuade me again?"

"Sort of. There is something I wish to show you." This was a crucial moment in his plan. If he could not convince him to go to the forest patch … "To that end I would like you to meet me tonight at a certain place. And I swear that you will not regret it." Shirou looked Lancelot straight in his eyes. His expression dead serious and no trace of doubt in his voice.

Lancelot thought about it for a moment. "I promise that it will be more useful than just waiting here for the execution." Shirou added, his eyes shining with determination.

"Hmmm. Fine then. I will hold you to your word." Lancelot smiled. He could sense how serious Shirou was. "Where is it that you want to meet?"

"To the west, about a mile or so from Camelot, there is a small forest patch. In the center is a large rock with one flat side. Wait for me there tonight. But I must add that I cannot tell you exactly how long it will take for me to get there, so ..."

"I see. Well then, I shall wait for thee there." Lancelot's interest was now peeked. "I will see you tonight then."

"Thank you. I promise you will not regret it." Shirou extended his hand and he and Lancelot shook on it. "Oh, and you might want to bring your horse." Shirou added with a smile before he left. So far so good.

Later that evening. Shirou was walking through the hallway, thinking about how to deal with the guards when he suddenly ran into Arturia and Bedivere.

"Good evening Shirou. How are you doing?" She inquire, still showing no emotions. She had completely suppressed them.

"Fine. Say, are you in the mood for some supper?" Shirou suggested. There is still some time before he would free the queen. "I will cook."

"Ah really? That would be nice." She quickly agreed. Arturia liked the food Shirou makes, more than any other. Half an hour later, they were eating supper.

"Is there something wrong Shirou? You are awfully quiet." Arturia suddenly remarked. Bedivere glanced at them from the corner of his eyes.

"It's just … without Guinevere … " Shirou stared at his plate silently.

"I know what you want to say. I feel the same." She said that without showing any emotions. "Don't misunderstand, Shirou. I am not doing this because I want to, but because I have to as my duty."

"You are the king, can't you make an exception?" Shirou planned to utilize this supper as a last chance to try and change her mind. Bedivere remained silent. He felt a little disheartened at the direction this conversation was going. "I can understand that you must punish betrayal, but ..."

"Betrayal? Yes, that is how everybody sees this. However, I don't consider this to be betrayal. No, if anything I understand Guinevere's sacrifice more than anybody else." This surprised both Bedivere and Shirou.

"Excuse me, my king. I am not entirely sure what you mean." Bedivere said hesitantly. Shirou too was shocked at the kings words. Because he was more aware about the truth of the king's gender, he understood what she meant.

"Sir Bedivere, as you are aware, my marriage with Guinevere was one of convenience. A king needs a queen. And while I held her dear, I did not love her as a man." Arturia explained calmly as she folded her hands. "I was not a good husband to her. It must have been a heavy burden for her. But still, as much as it pains me, I have to act in the capacity of the king."

After that conversation, they continued the meal in silence. Shirou had understood that he could not change her mind. When the meal was finished, Shirou decided to begin his rescue-attempt. "Your highness, I wish you a good night. But before I go I wish to ask something."

"Sure, what is it?"

"May I deliver this to the queen?" Shirou held up a small pot, wrapped in cloth. "I made some extra. I would like her to give her a last good meal before, you know … and I don't know if I would get the chance to give it to her."

"I see." She showed a faint smile. "You are a kindhearted person, Shirou. You have my permission. Good night." And she left with Bedivere in tow. Bedivere turned around for a moment and nodded to Shirou with a smile as a sign of approval.

It was already late in the evening when Shirou arrived at the entrance of the dungeons. Shirou entered and started down the stairwell. As he went further down he heard a sound. What was that sound? It sounded like someone was sawing through wood. No, not like that, but more like … could it be?

When he arrived at the door, he peeked through the window and yes. There they were, Benger and Humph. They were out cold, sleeping on the table. Shirou spotted some whine jugs lying on the table and the floor.

_Looks like I won't be needing the sleeping potion. _Shirou projected the keyring. It took him four out of eight tries before he found the right one. He made sure to close the door behind him in order to avoid suspicion. And because he had copied the keyring, he had no need to steal the real one, that way it would not alert the guards should they wake up.

Shirou made his way to the lower level. When he reached the queen, he found her asleep. Curled up on her 'bed', slightly shivering.

"Psst, Guinevere. Wake up." Shirou whispered. Guinevere woke up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Mister Shirou? To what do I owe this visit?" She asked, still drowsy. When Shirou took the key's and started to unlock the cell door. She sprung up in shock.

"Shirou. What are you doing? No, you should not ..." She reacted fearfully.

"Shhht. Not so loud, you'll wake them up." Shirou hushed her. Once the cell was unlocked Shirou promptly reached for her shackles, but Guinevere laid her hand on the lock.

"Shirou, I know what you wish to do, but doth not do it. If you try to help me escape you will surely be punished." She spoke faintly.

"Guinevere, if I don't free you, Lancelot will attempt to save you during the execution. And I know he will succeed." Shirou pushed her hand aside.

"I see. Because you are from the future, you know what will happen. If sir Lancelot will save me, it would be even more reason to ..."

"Yes, but he will be forced to kill several of his fellow knights in order to do that. How would that be any better." Shirou interrupted her. Guinvere nodded in response. "Look, I've discovered a way out and Lancelot is waiting at the exit, although he doesn't know I will bring you there." Shirou finally managed to unlock her shackles. After that Shirou laid the chains on the hay. "Guinevere, take some hay from the other cells. It could help buy some time."

Guinevere understood what Shirou was trying to do. They hurriedly gathered hay from the other cells and put it under the blanket. It created the illusion that she was still a sleep.

"So how do you wish to escape from here?"

Shirou grinned in response. "Follow me" Shirou guided her up the stairs and down the first corridor on their left. "Give me a moment." Guinevere showing some doubt now. "Trace on."

Shirou found the lever to opening the secret passage. A torch holder on the left wall. He took the torch and pulled the holder. The door opened and rather loud at that. Hopefully it didn't wake the guards.

"Well I be. I never knew we had a secret passage here." Guinevere's eyes were expressing pure surprise.

"Hurry now." Shirou urged her. He grabbed her hand and lead her into the passage. The door closed behind them. The stair was steep but manageable, but it was dark. Luckily he had taken the torch.

"It is cold down here." Guinvere shivered, rubbing her arms to stay warm. Indeed, it was rather chilly.

"Trace on." Shirou projected a woolen cloak. "Here."

"My thanks. Your ability is really useful." Guinevere accepted the cloak happily.

While the escape seemed to go smoothly, Shirou could not help but notice the sadness in Guinevere's eyes. It took them about half an hour to reach the exit. Shirou quickly found the lever and pulled it. The doorway opened and the sound of a blade been drawn was heard.

"Who goes there!?" The voice was unmistakably Lancelot's.

"Lancelot!" Guinevere rushed forward to the exit. Shirou followed her.

"Guinevere?" Lancelot was surprised at Guinevere's appearance. "Guinevere, my love. How ..." Then he noticed Shirou exiting the tunnel.

"Hey. Glad you could make it." Shirou greeted him casually.

"So this was your plan?" Lancelot smiled, but for some reason it was a sad one.

"Well, I thought it would be better and less bloody then storming the execution platform."

"But Shirou, you are changing the course of history. Are you certain this is wise?" While Guinevere was happy because Shirou rescued her, but she and Lancelot understood what it meant. Lancelot would have stormed the Execution platform and saved Guinevere, killing several knights and guards in the process. At least that is how it should have happened. Shirou arrived here by accident, but now Shirou had actively rewritten history. What would this mean for his time?

"I know. But haven't I changed it already by coming here?" Shirou looked them in the eyes. "Something done, cannot be undone. That is what I believe. But I am here now. Just me being here has probably changed the course of history already. Maybe there is a reason why I ended up here. Do you think that everything happens for a reason?" Shirou suddenly asked.

"I don't know, mister Shirou. But maybe it does." Lancelot responded. He gave an unsure smile. "Whether this was the right decision or not … only time will tell." Suddenly a horn sounded in the distance. A moment later they heard shouting echoing from the passage.

"They have discovered that I have escaped. We should leave now." Guinevere urged Lancelot, who nodded in agreement.

"Wait. Before you go, take this." Shirou handed her the pot. "Something for underway." He grinned.

"I cannot express enough how grateful I am." She suddenly gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart." After that she walked up to Lancelot, who helped her in the saddle.

"Emiya Shirou. I owe you a great debt and know I will repay it, on my honor as a knight, or what is left of it." Lancelot kneeled before Shirou.

"I merely did what I believed was right." Shirou felt a little embarrassed. "But what do you mean by, what is left of it?"

"I had an affair with Guinevere and now I am practically abducting her. This is an act of betrayal against the king." Lancelot lamented. "And what is worse, is that I am forgiven by the one person from who I wished punishment the most." The voices from the tunnel grew louder. Their pursuers were fast approaching.

"Lancelot, Guinevere. I can understand what you are trying to say, but let me tell you this. It doesn't have to be like this. I have spoken to the king and so I know that she does not consider this betrayal on your part."

"What do you mean?" Lancelot asked uncertain.

"I mean that this can still be fixed. I believe that you two and Arturia should just have a good chat with each other and talk this out, when the opportunity arises." Shirou said with absolute conviction. "Just promise me, that you will try to do that and I'll consider you debt payed."

Lancelot and Guinevere looked at each other for a moment in confusion. Then they gave Shirou a silent nod.

"I shall follow your advice. Thank you, Emiya Shirou. And sorry." Lancelot responded.

"It is okay. And sorry for wha..." Lancelot suddenly gave him a blow to the back of his head and Shirou's vision went black. Lancelot slowly lowered him to the ground.

Lancelot jumped in the saddle. Guinevere didn't ask, because she understood. They looked at Shirou one more time before riding of into the night.


	14. Chapter 13

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 13: Storm

"Hmmmrr, argh." Shirou groaned as he woke up. _What happened? Ah yeah, now I remember. Man that hurt._ Lancelot had knocked him out before he left, but Shirou understood why he did it. When he looked around he found himself lying in his chambers. Next to him was Merlin, sitting in a chair.

"Finally awake." Merlin's grinned at him like a father would laugh at the mischief of his child. He reached inside his bag and procured the sleeping potion which Shirou had stolen. "I must confess that I was unsure whether or not I should have stopped you when I noticed you stealing it. It was a good try, nevertheless." His grin broadened, Shirou felt himself blush.

"But you didn't." Shirou smirked. "Why?"

"Ever since Arturia's birth I have done my best to be a good mentor, guide and counselor. But she is the one who makes the final call. I believe you have already realized this, but she has chosen to throw away her heart in order to protect everyone. She is very brave for doing so and she is a great king, let there be no doubt about that." Merlin stared out the window with a sad smile. "You already know how her reign will be and how it will come to an end."

"True. I showed her how she would die and that made her only more determined." He sighed. "While neither she nor I regret any of our actions, I did wonder sometimes if it had to be like this, if it could be altered. You see, I can foresee the future, but not everything. I never could have predicted you coming here." Merlin rubbed his hands together. He was tapped his fingers together in excitement. "I shall let the others know that you are awake. We will be waiting in the dining room." Merlin left the room.

Shirou looked outside the window. The gentle morning sun shone on his face. He stood up and put on the rest of his clothes. When he entered the dining room he was greeted by Kay, Ector, Gawain and his brothers, Galahad, Tristan, Bedivere and of course Arturia.

"Ah, there he is." Tristan walked up to him and put his hands on Shirou's shoulders. "Rising with the sun. Good to see that you are alright." The others gathered around him too, except for Galahad, Ector and Arturia.

"Thank you for your concern." Shirou replied.

"Good to see you up and about." Gawain said. "I must say it was rather foolish to chase after Lancelot and Guinevere by yourself." Gawain reprimanded him.

_It seems that Lancelot's ruse had worked._ Shirou thought. "Maybe, I did think it trough." _The escape that is._

"The queen and Lancelot have escaped our grasp. I doubt we will see either of them any time soon." Ector didn't seem upset about it and neither did Kay and Bedivere. In fact, they seemed rather relieved.

"There now. Give the lad some space." Galahad smirked. "Don't crowd him so much." Almost everybody had gathered up around him, so Shirou was happy when Galahad said that.

"Ay. Sorry about that." Kay apologized for everybody. Then Arturia walked up to him.

"Shirou, I am glad that you're alright." She came incredibly close to him, causing him to step back. Arturia was incredibly beautiful and as a healthy boy, Shirou finds it troublesome to be this close to her. Arturia tilts her head questioningly. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, not at all. I am fine thank you for asking." Shirou said bashfully. Kay, Merlin and Ector were grinning as only they understood the situation.

"Sir Lancelot has escaped with Guinevere. I feel that it will take some time to find them, but we will deal with that later. Shirou, we have some good news for you." Arturia looked to Merlin.

"This morning I got confirmation from my familiars that the portal has opened." Merlin said with a happy face.

"You can go home, Shirou." Bedivere gave a sad smile. The same was true for Kay. Everybody else came to congratulate Shirou, but their sadness was slightly different from Bedivere's and Kay's. Arturia merely looked at him, her face expressionless.

"Indeed, but not before your farewell feast." Gaheris clasped his hands together. "Of course it would be nice if you could stay here a bit longer, but we don't know how long the portal will remain open, so what do you wish to do?" Everybody looked at him with curiosity.

Shirou scratched the back of his head. "I think I should return home. But not before I said goodbye to everyone. And who would turn down a feast anyway."

"Well said." Tristan patted him on the shoulder.

"Shirou, is there something else you still want or would like to do before you leave?" Arturia asked.

Shirou thought for a moment. "Aside from saying goodbye to everybody I have met? Nothing really." Shirou had just remembered something. "Except for one small thing, maybe."

"Ah, what is it you want?"

"Well, may I try some of those sweets?" Shirou asked slightly hesitating.

"Uh? What sweets?" Arturia sounded a little nervous, which was a bit of a surprise.

"When we went to do falconry, I saw you eating some sweets. So I am a bit curious about how the sweets from this time taste." Shirou explained. A blush appeared on her face and she folded her hands.

"You saw that?" She said with a nervous voice. The sweets were one of the few little pleasures she kept for herself, so she found it a bit troublesome for it to be revealed. All the knight's present were somewhat baffled with Arturia's rather timid behavior. Guess this is the first time they saw her like this. "Well, if you really insist."

She reached underneath her left tasset with a somewhat reluctant expression. Shirou always thought the tassets of her armor were rather large. They covered everything from her hips until past her knees. Arturia procured a small pouch and opened it. Inside were some sweet fruits.

"Here." She said while averting her eyes. Yep, the king of knights was sulking like a child caught doing mischief. Shirou took one and ate it. It was pretty tasty.

"I did not realize you had such sweets hidden away, my king." Tristan remarked with unusual amusement.

"I did not know our king could make such a face." Gareth was blinking his eyes from wonder. Arturia seemed to feel a little embarrassed about it. She put the pouch of sweets back under her tasset.

"That is enough." Arturia had returned to her normal self. "We will hold a feast in honor of your departing, Shirou. You should use this time to say goodbye to everyone."

"I shall do that."

"Shirou, if you would approve, I would like to offer my assistance in helping you find everyone you would wish to say goodbye too." Bedivere stepped forward rather eager.

"Uh, sure. That would be helpful." Shirou was taken by surprise by how abrupt Bedivere offered to help him. The other's were slightly surprised too.

"Well then. I guess I shall see you all in the evening." Shirou waved as he left the room, followed by Bedivere.

"So. Who would you like to go and see first?" Bedivere asked.

"I was thinking of going to see the ones who don't reside in the castle. Hmm. Why don't we start with Eda and her family?"

"A splendid idea. They currently reside on the edge of the village." Bedivere led the way.

Bedivere wanted to arranged for horses to go to the village, but Shirou was in the mood for some walking so they went on foot. It was a beautiful day and the village was lively, in part of the recent escape of the queen.

"I must confess, Shirou, that I was hoping that you would be able to stay a little longer." Bedivere began suddenly.

Shirou eyed him questioningly. "Well, it is not like that I did not enjoy my time here, not counting the ambushes and the fire, but I have to return home at some point."

"I am glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay here." Bedivere smiled for a moment before his expression grew more serious. "You have witnessed the king's... lack of emotions."

"Yeah, she really should show her emotions more." Shirou said disapprovingly.

Bedivere nodded in agreement. "Let me tell you that I admire the king more than anything else. Because of that I worked hard to become a great knight and be a part of his personal guard." Bedivere looked to the sky with a hopeful smile. "But my greatest wish was to see the king's real expressions. Therefore I have spent more time in his presence than any other. But no matter how much time I spend with him, I never saw the king smile or cry."

Bedivere's face became serious again as he looked back at Shirou. "But that all changed when you arrived." Shirou wanted to respond when Bedivere stopped. "We have arrived."

They had stopped in front of a fletcher's workshop. Shirou saw the various tools required to make bows and crossbows, as well as different kinds of wood and other materials, ranging from iron to gold and precious stones. Eda's father was definitely in a class of his own. He even had a couple of guards. Shirou spotted Meldred working on a bow, his back turned towards them.

"Mister Meldred! you have visitors." One of the guards alerted Meldred. Meldred turned around and a smile appeared on his face when he noticed Shirou.

"Ah, mister Shirou. Welcome to my humble workshop. 'tis good to see ye." Meldred gave Shirou a powerful handshake. "I trust ye are pleased with the bow I made for ye."

"I am. It is well made and very powerful. A real masterpiece."

"I am glad to hear that. So, what brings ye to my humble abode?"

"The time has come for me to return home, so I have come to offer my farewell." Shirou explained. "Is Eda and your wife here? I would like to say goodbye to them."

"They are here. Let's talk inside and take our time? May I offer you some ale while we are at it?" Shirou happily accepted Meldred's suggestion and followed him inside. There they were greeted warmly by little Eda and Ailletha. They had some ale, while taking their time to say farewell. Eda was a little sad that Shirou had to leave, but she understood it eventually with some persuasion from her mom. They had a fun time talking with each other. Some time passed and Shirou had to leave if he still wanted to say farewell to the others.

Shirou waved as he and Bedivere went off to find the merchants who had brought him here. They had taken up residence in the village garrison, since the inn had burned down. Shirou said his farewells to Elisa, Rauf and Sagard. It was a rather merry farewell as they told each other of recent happenings. One thing was that Sagard had proposed to Elisa, who had accepted. Sagard even brought out some wine, which surprised Rauf. The time they spend together was brief but fun.

Shirou felt a little tired when they returned to the castle. He figured that he hadn't taken so long in saying goodbye, but the sun was already setting. The next couple of hours Shirou spent some time with Halinard, Nicholas and Everill. Shirou had hardly interacted with Halinard and Nicholas, but he thought he should say goodbye to them anyway. Halinard proved to have a rather rushed and bossy personality, but he tried to be friendly in his own way. He had a nice chat with Nicholas who was with Elsa. The two of them gave him a cordial farewell.

Everill was truly sad at the foresight of Shirou's departure. Saying as how Shirou had opened his eyes and made him realize the true meaning of being a cook. It made Shirou feel like he was worshiped for a moment. Bedivere experienced some pleasure from it, giving the poor attempt at holding back his laughter. In the end Everill wished him a safe return to his home and told him that he would make sure that his last supper here would be one to remember.

Everill kept true to his word. While the feast was relatively small, the food was truly exquisite. Shirou noticed that Everill had tried some daring, but good combinations. Everybody could agree with that.

"Everill has clearly outdone himself." Arturia remarked, giving a firm nod in approval.

"He sure did. Some of these dishes are quite unusual, but good nevertheless." Shirou agreed. He looked around. "It's a shame that Mordred couldn't be here. Where is he anyway?"

"He told us that he had personal matters to attend to. We have not seen him after he revealed the queen's affair." Bedivere said with a tone of disapproval. No, more like scorn. If he hadn't disliked Mordred before, he sure did now.

"Let us not talk about that, sir Bedivere. This is Shirou's farewell feast, let us enjoy it." Gawain laughed boisterous. The wine was clearly starting to get to him.

"Well said, sir Gawain." Tristan too, was getting a little tipsy. "I would like to propose a toast to Emiya Shirou." Tristan stood up and lifted his goblet.

"A toast." Galahad joined him. "To Emiya Shirou, may god bless his soul."

"I agree." Arturia stood up and lifted her goblet. "A toast, to Emiya Shirou!" She spoke clearly.

"To Emiya Shirou." They all said in unison, as they raised their drinks. It made Shirou feel a little uncomfortable.

"I must say, I will miss you, Shirou." Kay was genuinely sad that Shirou had to leave, even though he had rarely spoken to him. "If I have heard correctly, then for every month you spend here, only one or two days pass in your time?" Shirou nodded. "If that is the case, could I persuade you into staying here a little longer?"

"Kay, my son. I know you would like for him to remain here for a while longer, but I must point out that even being gone for a day or two could cause ones friends and family to worry." Ector intervened. Kay has a natural talent for charisma and could persuade almost anyone. A useful skill in court. If Ector did not pay attention, Kay would certainly be able to convince Shirou to stay here indefinitely.

"I know father, but still … I think it would be a good thing. Tell me Shirou if there is anything I can do to persuade you." Shirou backed down a little, trying to avoid Kay's piercing gaze. Bedivere was following the conversation attentively. He had realized why Kay was trying to persuade Shirou into staying here. Bedivere felt a bit conflicted. He knew that Shirou should return home. The fact alone that he did not belong in this era was reason enough and they had no right to stop him from returning. But he had managed to bring a smile to his king's face. Shirou was making the king happy, both Kay and Bedivere had realized that. They both wished for the king's happiness, hence Bedivere's conflicted feelings.

"Sir Kay." Arturia interrupted the conversation. "I must say, this is unlike you. Truly, since when have you started to try and persuade visitors into staying here?" Arturia eyed Kay with some suspicion and disapproval.

"I am sorry, my king. But I swear, I merely wanted to persuade him to stay a little longer in order to learn more about him and share in each other's knowledge." Kay calmly explained. "I am sure that we can learn more from each other. Just like how he helped to improve the way we cook our meals. Even if he doesn't posses the knowledge, he could give us idea's of how can improve our own way of life." A_nd maybe bring some happiness to you, my dear sister._

"Hmmm, I understand. But I don't think we should. I am sorry, sir Kay, but as much as I enjoyed the time Shirou spent here, he should return home as soon as possible. He doesn't belong in our time."

"Your words ring true, my king. My excitement and curiosity had gotten the better of me. I apologize." Kay decided to focus on his food, his eyes filled with disappointment.

The party lasted until late into the night. Gawain had been the most boisterous. Gawain's brothers had tried to prevent them from drinking too much, but to no avail. Galahad and Tristan managed to remain sober till the end. Kay, Bedivere and Ector made some chit-chat for the rest of the feast. Arturia and Shirou continued to enjoy the food. Arturia found the food delicious. Though she still claimed that Shirou's food was still the best, which made Shirou feel happy. When the party ended, Galahad had to help Tristan and Gawain return to their chambers. Luckily Gaheris and Gareth were there to back him up.

Shirou felt satiated. He decided that it would be best to go to bed. Before he could leave, Arturia walked up to him. "How was the food, Shirou? I trust it was good."

"It was. Thank you. Or rather thank Everill for doing such a fine job." Shirou patted his stomach. "I am really stuffed, so I would like to go to bed now. I believe that we will be leaving early this morning."

"Yes, we are. You are wise to go to sleep now." She crossed her arms, and looked at Shirou in a way which Shirou found difficult to place. "I will be joining you on your way to the portal, I shall tell you now that I will miss you."

"I shall miss you too. Well, I shall see you tomorrow then. Good night." Shirou smiled as he walked away.

"Good night to you too." Arturia whispered with a faint smile.

The next morning came quickly. Shirou went to the courtyard after having a solid breakfast. There he found Kay, Ector, Bedivere, Gawain, Gareth, Gaheris, Galahad and Arturia waiting along with their horses and another dozen or so guards to accompany them. Arturia was busy talking with Merlin. Shirou saw that they were one horse short, so he reckoned that Merlin would not be joining them.

"Ah, Shirou. Good morning. I trust you have everything you need?" Tristan greeted him. The other knights, in turn, greeted him as well. They were all armed and armored. Quite an impressive sight.

"Good morning, sir Tristan. Yes, I have everything." Shirou lifted up a traveling bag. It contained his school uniform and shoes, the tunic he got from Sagard, Tohsaka's notebook and his keys. He carried his bow on his back. "And you sir Tristan? I hope you have not much of a hang over?" Tristan had to laugh. He made a gesture that would probably mean he was alright.

"Shirou, over here." Bedivere waved. "Here is your horse. I have provided a bow scabbard on your saddle, so you would not have to carry the bow on your back the entire time."

"Thank you, sir Bedivere."

"You may just call me Bedivere." Bedivere smiled.

"Shirou!" Merlin walked over to them. "No, no need to say goodbye just yet." He said grinning before Shirou could say anything. "I shall see you at the portal before you leave, but I will be going along a different route."

"Good to hear. Is there something you wish to say before we leave?"

"Nothing really at this moment, except for wishing you Godspeed." Merlin laid his hand on his shoulder.

"We should depart now, if we want to reach the portal. We don't know when it will close again. Shirou, are you ready?" Arturia looked at him.

"Yes. I have everything. We can leave as soon as you give the word." Shirou showed her the bag.

"Very well then. Everybody prepare to depart!" She said with a loud, clear voice. Shirou found her voice very beautiful, but it was not suited for singing but rather for giving orders.

Shirou put his bow in the scabbard and mounted his horse. And as soon as everybody was mounted, Arturia gave the order to ride.

"See you at the portal, Merlin." Shirou said just before followed after Arturia and the others. After a while he looked back at Camelot. When they passed through the village, people gathered to see the king and his men depart. Children ran next to them, admiring the knights and saying that they would become one someday and things like that. After they left the village the great castle was steadily shrinking in the distance. He sighed. It had been a rather fun time.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mordred had arrived in the old fortress last evening. He was sitting in his room cleaning his sword. Except it was not the sword he normally used, it was Clarent. The revelation of the affair between Guinevere and Lancelot had caused quite an uproar in the castle. Which lead to a disruption during the changing of the guard, which in turn left the room containing Clarent temporarily unguarded. Mordred had seized this opportunity to steal the sword. He had placed his own great sword in it's place and thanks to a little magic charm given to him by Morgan, he had been able to create an illusion which made the great-sword look exactly like Clarent. It will take some time before anyone will notice.

It didn't felt completely right with him though. Mordred would have liked to seize the sword without all the sneaking around. It was beneath a knight, but he would need it when he would depart to seize the Grail. He rested the sword on his shoulder and started for the courtyard. The courtyard was a buzz as always.

"Sir Mordred." Mordred turned around and found the 'Commander' standing behind him. "I see that you have managed to obtain Clarent."

"Indeed I have. Though I did not like the way I did it. I felt more like a thief than a knight." Mordred complained.

"I understand. But if I may ask, have you seen Dunstan?"

"Dunstan? No, I haven't. Is he not in the fortress?"

"No, he is not. When I woke up this morning, I could not find him anywhere." The Commander pondered as he brushed his hand through his hairs. "And what is more, there are also sixty or so men gone, along with that wizard. What was his name again? Delle ... something."

"Esdelot." Mordred reminded him with a tense voice. Esdelot was a Magus, just like his mother. He had conducted some horrid experiments, causing many innocents to suffer. Personally Mordred would have preferred to kill him himself. But Morgan had dissuaded him from doing so, saying that he would prove invaluable for their rebellion. Esdelot, while not as powerful as Merlin or Morgan, was still a force to be reckoned with. And he despised the king just as much as Morgan.

King Arthur, upon hearing from Esdelot's horrid crimes, staged a manhunt for him. The king's knights had soon found the magus' lair and although Esdelot managed to escape, he had lost all his research, his life's work and his son who aided him. Mordred did not sympathize for him though. The man and his son had abducted and imprisoned countless of people. They had used them to conducted horrendous experiments, on both innocent and guilty, old and young. Those that survived had been better of dead. Mordred was a knight, sworn to protect the innocents. And letting that man live was in and of it self a violation of that oath. Morgan had managed to persuade Esdelot from performing such acts during their 'cooperation', knowing how Mordred felt about 'people like him'. Regardless of that, Mordred was determined to end that guy's life as soon as this was over, as well as Dunstan's.

"I suspect Mother would know where he is." Mordred rushed towards his mother's workshop, the 'Commander' hot on his heels.

"I suspect it has something to do with the king then?" Mordred clacked his tongue at the 'Commanders' remark. He had probably hit the nail on his head. Mordred almost bashed in the door of Morgan's workshop. Morgan simply continued calmly with her work on a number of necklaces with rune stones attached to them. Clearly she was expecting this.

"Mother, could you tell me why Dunstan, Esdelot and about sixty men are missing?" Mordred asked with a loud voice.

Morgan gave Mordred an exasperated look. "Closer to hundred-twenty, actually. Emiya Shirou is preparing to return home. I have send Dunstan and Esdelot to fetch him. As to why, you will be departing to retrieve this Holy Grail, so learning the tongue of Shirou's country will be necessary. Along with any other useful knowledge of his time. And with a little luck, some of the knights may be killed during the attack."

"You should have told me before you did anything." Mordred complained loudly from frustration, shaking his head.

Morgan calmly continued her work. "By the way, have you heard that the queen has escaped?"

Mordred looked at Morgan incredulously. This certainly was a surprise. "Escaped? How did that happened?"

"I am not sure yet. But I do know that it was Lancelot had rescued her."

"Ah, sir Lancelot did? Makes sense. Who else than that oh-so perfect knight?" Mordred said with disgust. He had always disliked Lancelot for always being exalted as the perfect knight. Tarnishing his name had given Mordred some satisfaction. Mordred couldn't explain the bitter aftertaste that came from that. _I have to admit though that Lancelot is a great knight. I would have liked to cross blades with him. Although it is clear that I shall emerge victorious. I, who has surpassed my father._ Mordred had to grin involuntarily.

"'Commander', see to it that the supplies are ready for departure. My son and his men shall depart soon." Morgan commanded, while she examined at some sheets of parchment.

"Ay, milady." The 'Commander saluted. But before he left his curiosity took the better of him and he cast a glance at the parchment. It was written full of strange symbols. "May I ask what those symbols are?"

"Curious are we not?" Morgan remarked teasingly. "It is a copy of the book that Shirou brought with him."

"How did thou managed to copy it?" The 'Commander' inquired. Mordred went to stand next to Morgan to examine the writing.

"Some of the charms I gave to our spy's have the capability to copy the writing of books and store it inside themselves or transmit it to this. She pointed to the table. It was a silver plate with a copper arch on it, from which a crystal pendulum was hanging. The whole was inscribed with glowing runes.

"How useful. Magic sure is amazing. I shall leave you to thy workings then, milady. Thank you for your time to indulge me." Morgan gave him a nod, then the 'Commander turned around and left.

"Now then, my son. You should make preparations for your departure. Why don't you start by choosing who will accompany you?"

"Yes, mother." Mordred sighed and walked out. Morgan returned to her work. There were still so many things to do.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

They had been traveling for two days now. The weather started of clear and sunny. But that was about to end. As they reached the third day, black thunderclouds were beginning to gather. And with the night setting in as well, it seeks to be bleak.

"Looks like a storm is brewing." Arturia looked at clouds. "We will have to find shelter for tonight."

"I concur, my king." Bedivere looked at the clouds, as if to estimate when and how severe it would be. "But we still have some time, I reckon. We should be able to make camp before it hits us."

"There is a small clearing a little beyond the next bridge." Gaheris informed them. "It also has a large outcropping of rocks which can provide excellent cover from the wind."

"That is good to hear. I take it you have been here before then?" Ector smiled from relief. They all did. If this storm hits, they would need any cover from the elements they could find.

"Yes. we have come here on numerous occasions to hunt." Gawain explained. He had a broad smile when he was recalling the times he spend here, hunting with his brothers. "Ah yes, this is a good hunting spot indeed."

"Well than. I shall have you invite us to one of your hunting trips." Kay grinned.

"It would be my pleasure." Gawain responded politely.

"Looks like they are having a good time." Shirou remarked with a smile. He looked at Arturia who rode just in front of him. _She really doesn't laugh much, doesn't she? Why couldn't she try to have some fun?_ He shook his head in exasperation.

"Is something wrong Shirou?" Shirou looked up and looked Arturia in the eyes.

"No, nothing."

"Good." She responded. "We are almost at the river. Once we cross it I will have Gawain lead us to the clearing."

They soon arrived at the river. It had barely rained during the time that Shirou had been here. That stands for Camelot. Other parts to the north had experienced heavy rain fall and that had caused the river to swell greatly. The currents were strong. Shirou noticed the bridge ahead. It was a sturdy stone bridge suspended over a broad and quite deep chasm, where the river flowed through. They had to hurry, the storm was approaching fast and the first raindrops start to fall.

"Okay, men! Let us make haste!" Arturia urged them. "The storm will soon unleash it's full might."

"Aye!" They answered in unison.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"There they are. Right on time." Dunstan was watching them as they started to cross the bridge. "When the king and the stranger are at the end of the bridge, you will use your magic to separate them from the rest. Once that is done we will attack them from both sides at once." Dunstan had divided his men to both sides of the river in anticipation to their arrival.

"Understood." Esdelot responded, his voice tense from impatience and anger. Dunstan laid his hand on his shoulder and turned Esdelot to face him. "Don't touch me, less you want to die at my hands, bandit scum." He growled, but Dunstan remained dead calm to the point of enervating Esdelot. Esdelot was an older man, with dark-gray hair. His face was crude and hollow-looking, sporting dark eyes. Correction, one dark eye. His right-eye which he lost during his escape from the king's men, was replaced with a red stone. Esdelot had set up bounded fields in order to hide their presence. Something he was really good at. Even Merlin and Morgan would have had trouble discovering them.

"If you were some distance away from me I would have taken more caution talking to you like this. But when we are this close together I will be able to run you through before you could even utter a word. Besides I have a protective charm that would keep me alive long enough to escape... or close the gap for that matter. But such a thing would cause us to fail our assignment, which would not please milady Morgan." Dunstan explained with an icy-calm voice. "So for both our sakes, I ask you to listen. Our task is to capture the lad. And we may manage to kill a few knights as well. But the king can not be harmed. Partially because of Avalon and partially because sir Mordred wants to be the one to kill him. So I ask of you to cooperate and follow the plan."

Esdelot nodded in agreement, but with obvious displeasure. "I will." To which Dunstan nodded.

"They are almost at the end. Get ready!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"The current sure is strong." Shirou remarked.

"It usually is during this time of the year." Arturia responded. "Luckily we don't need to worry about it. That being said. I don't believe that I have told you that I can walk on water."

"You can walk on water?" Shirou felt his image of Arturia become more profound. "That is ..."

Shirou could not finish his sentence, because suddenly a great fireball flew at them and exploded in the center of the procession. It was fortunate that the group had been stretched out at that moment. Two of the guards died in the explosion. But then the flames started to whirl, before forming a blazing barrier, splitting the group in two.

Shirou, Arturia along with Kay, Gaheris and Gareth on one side and Gawain, Ector, Bedivere, Galahad, Tristan and the guards on the other side.

"My king!" Gawain yelled over the flames, as soldiers sprang up from seemingly nowhere.

"Everybody, stand your ground! Drive them back!" Arturia shouted. A horde of men rushed them and they were well equipped. Too good for mere bandits. Shirou hurriedly projected a sword. He looked back. On the other side of the firewall, Gawain and the others were fending off another group. The fight was getting chaotic and to make matters worse, the storm broke loose with all its might. The heavy rain limited their field of vision severely.

The fighting was intense and the enemy's outnumbered them greatly. However, the power of the knights made the difference in numbers meaningless. Shirou had witnessed the prowess of the Bedivere, Kay and Arturia before and had reckoned that all the knights were of equal skill. And they were, only this time they unleashed their full might. They were venerable whirlwinds of swords. Their sword dance drove back and killed many enemies. But it was Arturia who shined more brightly than any other. Her way of fighting was as elegant as it was effective. Like a goddess of battle.

"Esdelot, cover us if we have to retreat. I am going to get him." Dunstan declared when he saw that the men were driven back by the knights. He put on his helmet and went to the bridge. Esdelot nodded silently.

_Aye. Watch that you don't get caught in my spells, Dunstan. Hehe._

Shirou himself was struggling against his own opponent. He was not used to fighting on horseback even less than he was on foot. Suddenly a second soldier appeared and startled the horse, causing Shirou to be thrown to the ground. The horse ran off and somehow managed to get past the firewall. That horse must have had the devil's luck.

"Shirou!" Gaheris rushed to Shirou's side when he saw Shirou fall. His horse had been killed during the fighting, but that had cost the attackers dearly. He charged in and blocked the path of Shirou's attackers, allowing Shirou to get to his feet. The two men were joined by a third and they rushed Shirou and Gaheris. Gaheris blocked the axe and spear of the first two. He redirected their attack and killed one with a riposte while injuring the second one before he finished him off.

Shirou defended himself against the third and managed to injure him. His attacker however rushed him in response. Shirou thought fast. He projected a small buckler and blocked his attack. The man was completely taken by surprise.

Shirou could have killed him, but he did not wanted to, even if this man was trying to kill him. So he hit him on the head with the pommel of his sword using all his might, while reinforcing his arm. The helm caught the brunt of the impact, but it was still strong enough to send him to the ground. Shirou was worried for a moment that he had killed the man. The man rolled on his back grasping his head, groaning. The way he was acting indicated that he would not get up anytime soon.

"Good work, but you did not kill him." Gaheris said approvingly. "A merciful soul, I see." Shirou grinned, but then his smile disappeared as two others arrived to continue the fight. Shirou recognized one of them. It was the tall, heavily armored bandit he had seen when he had gone hunting with Arturia. He was wielding new cleaver-like sword.

"I shall take the big one. You should focus on the other one." Gaheris said with a tense voice. He knew that this opponent would be in a different league. The large man motioned his comrade to go after Shirou. The man readied his cleaver as he approached Gaheris, who did the same. Then they rushed each other.

Shirou was already busy fighting his own opponent. He was thankful for the training he had received. It would prove to make a difference once again.

Gaheris and Dunstan were giving it their all. Gaheris was not as powerful his brother, but he was still a formidable opponent, Dunstan knew. Gaheris had likewise, realized that this man was not to be taken lightly.

They exchanged fierce attacks. Gaheris was forced to redirect the attacks rather than blocking them by the sheer power of the cleaver, . And Dunstan was forced to evade and keep some distance because his cleaver was slower than Gaheris' sword. At one point their weapons clashed together, creating a small shockwave. Shirou and his opponent paused for a moment when they felt the wave ripple through them and looked at Gaheris and Dunstan with awe. It was only for a moment, then they resumed their fight.

"You are good." Gaheris said with a grin. "But I am afraid you have to die here today." Gaheris tried to taunt his opponent. _I have to finish him fast. This guy is as strong as a knight._

"I don't think so." There was one thing that made knights rather amusing for Dunstan. They always follow a code of honor which restricts them from using certain options in battle. Options which could otherwise grant them an easy victory. But Dunstan had no such restrictions. He took the whip he had hanging from his belt with his left hand.

"Time to die, knight." He sneered. Then he entered an extreme state of concentration and grabbed the hilt of his cleaver with both hands. The hilt of the whip was thin and shaped like a loop. That way he could hold the whip in his hand while wielding the cleaver with two hands, by putting the hilt of the whip around his fingers. Gaheris tensed up and prepared for the attack.

"GAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" With a loud battle cry Dunstan stormed towards Gaheris and with all his might delivered an upward swing with the blunt side of his cleaver. Gaheris was shocked at the speed and power of the attack. He could not dodge it, so he was forced to try and block it, holding his sword with both hands. The force of the blow forced Gaheris' arms upward and caused him to stumble back wards.

At that instant Dunstan let the cleaver loose with his left hand and brought the whip down while calmly raising the cleaver over his shoulder. In that instant he lashed out with the whip and entangled Gaheris' hands before he could regain his footing and with a mighty pull, Dunstan drew him in.

_This is it._ Gaheris realized as he was pulled forward and the cleaver came down.

_Farewell, my brothers, ...my king._ The last thing he saw were the Dunstan's cold, ice-blue eyes.

Shirou had managed to push back his opponent and was about to knock him out when he saw it. "GAHERIS!" He shouted as he saw the cleaver drive into Gaheris' left shoulder, smashing through his armor all the way through his heart and stopping near his stomach. The man pried his blade out of Gaheris' body as Gaheris fell to the ground. The man turned to Shirou and started to approach him.

"You are coming with us lad." The man said to him. Shirou tensed up, glaring enraged at the man. He readied his sword and buckler. _I can't beat him!_

But then, in a blur of blue and silver, Arturia suddenly appeared. "Shirou are you alright?"

"Yes, but Gaheris ..."

"I know." Arturia glared daggers at the man with the cleaver. "You shall pay for killing one of my knights. Have at thee!" The man and his comrade took a step back, but then three more of their comrades joined them. They were however followed by Gareth. Suddenly a bright blue light illuminated the area. It came from where Kay was fighting. Was he alright?

"Gaheris!" Gareth's face was contorted from pure rage when he saw his brother's corpse. The next moment Gareth rushed the man with the cleaver. Arturia and Shirou engaged the rest.

Esdelot was following the battle from a distance. His artificial eye carried enchantments which allowed him to see everything as clear as day under any circumstances. When he saw Arturia and Dunstan standing close in each other's vicinity he grinned menacingly.

_Cindering heat, bright as day, striking like thunder!_ He chanted and then sent forth a large, purple ball of energy. _This will give them quite a scare. Well ... more than a scare. Hehaha._

They were all surprised when they saw the large, purple light approaching them. When the initial surprise wore off, the attackers ran towards the other side of the bridge, away from the perceived point of impact.

Dunstan, who had expected Esdelot's to do something like this, gave the distracted Gareth a heavy punch in his face. He ran and jumped over the railing in the direction of the cliff with all his might. He lashed out with his whip which wrapped around some roots which protruded from the cliff-side. _I hope these will hold long enough._

"Gareth!" Shirou ran towards him. Gareth was dazed from that punch he received. He would not be able to take cover. He saw Shirou running toward him, but he understood that Shirou would not make it in time. They will both be killed.

"Shirou!" Arturia ran after him. "Come here! I will shield you. Avalon will protect us."

"We cannot leave him." Shirou argued. The ball of light had almost reached them.

Arturia gritted her teeth. _I am sorry, Gareth._ She could only shield one, there was no more time to protect both of them. She used her Prana burst to catch up to Shirou. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him in.

"But Gareth is ..." Shirou looked at Gareth. He had recovered from the blow, but it was too late. Gareth looked at Arturia and Shirou. It was alright. He had accepted his fate.

"Don't worry, the sheath shall protect us." Arturia said as she covered Shirou.

And then the everything became engulfed in bright, purple light. It was however more like a lightning strike than a fiery explosion. Avalon glowed and created a protective barrier. Shirou saw the purple blaze consuming everything, but did not reach them. They were completely isolated. However, a part of the bridge gave away violently and Shirou and Arturia tumbled down in to the ravine. They got separated because of the sudden shock .

"Shirou!" Arturia shouted. Shirou would fall into the water first. _I will dive in and grab him before the current drags him away._ If she could grab him, she would use 'Prana burst' to jump out of and on the water. That way she can bring them both to shore.

Arturia locked her eyes with Shirou's as they were falling. "Hang on, Shirou!" She twisted her body to align her self and then using 'Prana burst', she kicked off from a falling piece of debris to propel herself forward. She had only a small window of opportunity. Shirou hit the water and Arturia splashed in just next to him, however she could not have foreseen the strong branch which was sticking in the riverbed. It barely grazed her left side. 'Avalon' got caught behind it which caused the leather straps to snap. The sudden jerk spun her around and she got caught in the current.

Shirou saw it happen and managed to grab her hand just in time. Now they were at the mercy of the current as it dragged them along boulders and sunken branches. And to make matter's worse, Arturia's armor was dragging them to the bottom. Shirou and Arturia were clinging onto each other.

Shirou's eyes met with Arturia's. She pulled him in closer and wrapped her arm around him. They were going to drown if they did not do anything soon. Shirou put his hand on Arturia's armor.

"Trace on." He managed to utter and put his magical energy into the armor, not to reinforce it, but to shatter it. In this situation the armor was a liability. Her breast plate shattered into big pieces and the leather holding her tassets snapped. Arturia gave him a quick nod. She had more freedom of movement without it. She managed to bring them into an upright position and when her feet touched the bottom she jumped with all her might while using 'Prana burst'. They shot upward out of the water. Arturia hit her head against a piece of wood drifting by. Her vision blurred but she still managed to land on the riverbank.

Shirou fell to his knees when Arturia released him. He was hyperventilating. "That was rough. Arturia, are you alright?" When Shirou looked at Arturia she suddenly fell over. Shirou managed to catch her just in time. "Arturia!" Then he noticed the bloody gash on her forehead.

"Ahh, Shirou. It seems like we made it." She made a painful face and was groaning. They needed to find shelter. Shirou strengthened his eyes and looked around. But in this weather it didn't do much. He managed to discern a large overhanging rock. It would be able to provide shelter for at least six people.

"Come, there is some shelter over there." Shirou helped Arturia on her feet. She wobbled as she tried to walk, so Shirou had to support her. Shirou eased her down when they were under the overhanging rock. Shirou examined the wound for a moment. "It doesn't look that severe. How do you feel?"

"I feel a little dazed, but it should be alright if I rest a little." She touched the wound. "We should get a fire going. Normally I would say that we try to rejoin the others as soon as possible. Going out in this storm however is not a wise choice. We will not be going anywhere tonight."

"Let me worry about making a fire." There was plenty of driftwood gathered under the rock and there was also some dry moss on the rocks which he could use as tinder. It took a while, but he managed to get a fire going. "There is quite some driftwood gathered under this rock. Looks like the water-level is able to reach all the way up here. Let's hope that it will not rise anymore tonight." Shirou looked at the river with some worry. Should the water-level rise any further, they will be forced to find another shelter. Hmmm, he should get out of these wet clothes and dry them by the fire. He heard something rustle behind him.

"Shirou, we should dry our clothes by the fire. It's not healthy wearing them." Arturia had thought the same.

Shirou turned around. "I know, but ..." He suddenly fell speechless. Arturia had already removed her clothes and had laid them by the fire. Shirou could only stare at her. She was perfect. Like a beautiful marble statue. Soft, white skin and a slender body. Luckily she had her back turned to him

"Hmmm? Is something wrong, Shirou?" She asked with a completely calm voice. Shirou turned around fast, his head bright red, when he noticed Arturia turning around to face him. "Is everything alright? Your face looks red. I hope you aren't getting sick?" She sounded a little worried. "You should remove your clothes fast. It is not good to wear wet clothes in these conditions."

"I know, but could you please cover up first?" Shirou stammered bashfully. "I am sorry! I didn't mean to peek."

"Hmmm? Ah, I see. Rest assured, there is no need for you to worry about seeing my bare body." She said as if nothing had happened. "I thought I had told you before. I am a knight and the king, before I am a woman. My gender is of little consequence."

"You don't feel embarrassed?" Shirou stammered.

"Why should I?" She asked with a puzzled expression. "I don't mind if others see me naked. If you don't take the fact that I have to conceal my gender, that is."

"Even if you don't mind, please consider other people's feelings." Shirou retorted. He quickly projected a woolen blanket. "Here, please use this to cover up." He handed her the blanket with his eyes closed.

"Uh, thank you Shirou." She still sounded a little confused. Was is that odd to her? Shirou took a peak. Luckily, Arturia had covered herself now. She sat down against a rock by the fire and stretched her slender legs out. Shirou went to stand behind her before he started to undress. When he had undressed, he projected another blanket and covered himself. He laid his clothes next to Arturia's dress and sat down next to her.

"Looks like it will be a long night." Arturia remarked.

"Yeah, luckily we have enough driftwood to last us through the night." Shirou covered a yawn. "We should get some sleep."

"Yes. I don't think we have to worry about being attacked, so we should be safe for now. But we should take turns keeping watch, just in case."

"Good. I shall take first watch." Shirou proposed. Arturia touched her head. Her left eye twitched as she did that.

"I would be grateful for that. Please wake me, when you wish to sleep. Arturia put Excalibur next to her on the ground. Then she leaned back against the rock and closed her eyes. Shirou had no doubt that she would wake up the moment an enemy should approach. He smiled at her and threw some more wood on the fire.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Meanwhile, the knights and the guards had managed to find shelter in a nearby ruin along the road. It was large enough to hold the survivors and their horses, although it took some effort to get the horses inside.

Only three of the guards had survived the ambush. The battle had claimed the lives of nine guards and of Gaheris and Gareth. Kay, Bedivere, Ector, Galahad and Tristan were sitting around a fire, discussing what their next course of action should be.

"It is agreed then. Tomorrow morning at first light, we will scour both sides of the river." Ector summarized. "The two guards will wait here for the reinforcements." One of the guards was of this area and knew of a village nearby with a small garrison. He was confident that he could reach it, despite the storm, and return by morning with reinforcements.

"Certainly. I, Kay and Bedivere will scour the left-bank." Tristan pounded his fist on his chest. "And woe any foe that crosseth our path. They shall pay dearly for killing our men and Gawain's brothers." His voice trembled with anger. "We shall cast down divine retribution on them."

"Agreed. Then I, along with Gawain and Galahad shall take this side." Ector rubbed his chin. "Kay, will you go and tell sir Gawain of our decision?"

"I will." Kay was stirring in a kettle. A simple, but delicious stew made from potatoes, vegetables and bacon. He scooped up some in a bowl. "Might as well bring him some stew, while I am at it."

Gawain was standing guard under an overhang, outside the entrance. His expression was grim and his eyes were filled with anger and grief. When he found his brothers dead after the battle, Gaheris almost cleaved in two and Gareth covered in horrendous burns, it had felt so unreal. The fact that one might fall in battle is something that every knight had accepted. Gawain had always know this could happen and like any knight had prepared himself for it. But losing them both at once had still been a tremendous blow.

"Sir Gawain?" Gawain turned around with a blank expression. There was Kay carrying a bowl of stew. "I wanted to let thou know that we shall go and look for the king, tomorrow at first light." Kay's spoke with a compassionate tone. "You will be going with Bedivere and Tristan and scour the left-bank. The two remaining guards will stay here and wait for the reinforcements." Gawain looked at him with dull eyes and gave him a silent nod.

"Here, have some stew. It will warm you up. Why don't you go inside and get some rest? I shall take over from you."

"Thank you, sir Kay." Gawain took the bowl and went inside. Kay gave him a last worried look as Gawain disappeared behind the corner.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Near the steep slope where the cliff ended. A man crawled out of the river. He was one of the soldiers that had staged the ambush. When the ball of energy struck, he had been hurled into the river. He was lucky that he was wearing leather armor. Had it been iron, steel or chain-mail, he would have certainly drowned. The man turned around and laid on his back in the mud, breathing heavily. His body was battered and bruised from crashing into rocks.

"Blast it. When I get my hands on that wretch." He groaned. Looking around he found a large hollow tree. It was big enough to shelter him. Mustering what little strength he had left, the man rose to his feet and started walking towards it. But when tried to take a step, he slipped as he had stepped on something slippery. He fell face first in the mud.

"Argh! Now what?" He turned around to see what made him slip. His eyes narrowed from curiosity when he saw something, what seemed to be made of gold sticking in the mud. He turned around on his knees and pulled it from the mud.

"This is ..." His eyes widened from shock. It was Excalibur's sheath: Avalon!


	15. Chapter 14

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 14: Rebellion revealed

The sun is reaching dawn. The trees casted long shadows across the land as Dunstan led a search for Shirou. He had attacked the king and his knights with hundred and twenty men, but less than thirty or so had survived. Morgan would not be pleased if he would return empty handed. Their objective was to capture the visitor, but even if he did not deliver him, he had something which would at least calm Morgan's anger. Before the break of dawn, one of his men, who survived Esdelot's attack, had returned. And he had carried something with him. Something extremely valuable: the sheath of Excalibur, Avalon.

Dunstan had sent Esdelot back to the fortress with the sheath. Partially because he did not want to have him anywhere near, after that stunt he pulled last night. Esdelot had claimed, completely unconvincing, that he had miscalculated. It was quite obvious that he had tried to kill Dunstan too. Dunstan had decided that he would let him be ... for now. When the time is right, he would make Esdelot pay.

"Lord Dunstan. We have spotted some smoke in the distance." One of his men alerted him. In the distance, near the river-bank, smoke was rising and Dunstan knew instinctively that this was it.

"Alright, men. Move it." Dunstan spurred his men onward. They might just catch their prey after-all.

Gawain, Ector and Galahad were riding along the right-bank. The rain had transformed the ground in to a marsh, slowing them down considerably.

"Have you seen anything yet?" Ector inquired.

"No, nothing as of yet." Galahad replied. "Sir Gawain?"

"Nothing either." Gawain was looking for the king even more intensely than the others. He had already lost his brothers, he would not allow to let anything befall his king too. Suddenly he heard something. "Did you hear that?"

"Heard what? Have you found them?" Ector rushed over to Gawain.

"I thought I heard something? It came from over there." Gawain pointed to the trees. "It sounded like a horse."

"Hmm, could be. Some of our horses had fled when their riders had fallen." Ector gazed trough the trees, trying to discern things.

"I shall go and investigate. You two should continue following the river. I shall catch up later." And Galahad rode of in to the forest.

"Come, sir Gawain, let us continue our search."

"Yes; let us." Gawain turned his attention back to the river-bank, after casting a last glance in the direction Galahad rode of to.

At the same time, on the other side of the river, Kay and the others were also franticly searching for the King and Shirou, but without any luck so far.

"It seems that the current has dragged them pretty far." Bedivere felt deep anxiety. They had been searching for several hours already and they still hadn't found them. "Any sight yet?"

"No, not yet." Tristan answered tensely. "I don't understand. The king has the protection of the lady of the lake. He can run across water just as he could on land. It should have been easy for him to reach the river-bank, even if he had to carry Shirou."

"True enough, but since that is obviously not the case, we can assume that something prevent him from doing so." That thought only served to increase Bedivere's anxiety. He clenched his fist. _-Damn it all. Please let the king and Shirou be alright. I became a part of the Imperial guard in order to protect and serve the king. What good am I, if I can not fulfill my duty as such. Further more ...-_

His brooding was disturbed when Kay laid his hand on his shoulder. He looked into Kay's eyes and saw the same anxiety. "Calm yourself, sir Bedivere. We will find them."

"Hey, I see something over there!" Bedivere and Kay jumped to attention at Tristan's shout. He was pointing at the river. There was something shining stuck between the rocks and it was obviously made of metal. Bedivere hurried over. He dismounted and waded into the river. After some wringing, he pulled out a piece of armor from between the rocks. Tristan and Kay gathered around him.

"What is it?" Tristan asked. Bedivere turned around and displayed a piece of the king's armor. The atmosphere became heavy. "There is no blood on it which probably means that the king is unharmed. Hopefully."

"That is possible. Also, it looks as if it shattered like glass. This did not happen because of an edged weapon." Bedivere said as he examined it closely. "I am not really sure … but I think Shirou did this."

"How so?" Tristan blinked at Bedivere's remark.

"I once saw him training his magic. When he failed, I saw how objects shattered. Some looked fractured, like this. I cannot say anything for certain though."

"If that is true, than the mostly likely reason is that it was dragging them to the bottom." When Kay thought about it, it made sense. Arturia can walk on water only when she choses to. The most likely reason why she didn't must have been to dive after Shirou. But something must have happened that prevented her from jumping out of the water with Shirou. "They are alive. Let us hurry and find them."

Bedivere and Tristan nodded. Their eyes were filled with resolve. Bedivere hoisted himself back in the saddle and they continued to follow the river.

Kay was certain that it would not be long now before they find them to which he found solace. But he knows there was another problem. When they would find their king, she will not be wearing her armor. No amount of persuasive ability would be able to cover that up.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Shirou had just finished putting on his clothes. He looked at Arturia who was also finishing up. Shirou recalled her sleeping. Even when she was sleeping, there was no peace for her. Her face still showed tension when she sleeps and that bothered him.

"Hmm? Is something bothering you, Shirou? You look troubled."

"Ah, no. It's nothing."

Arturia looked different without most of her armor and her hair down. Her old fashioned blue dress... well, not old fashioned in this time, looked really good on her. The puffed shoulders were lined with gold and though they were always visible, looked more profound now without the heavy armor. The gold lines which traced across the blue cloth who were usually covered were aesthetically pleasing. The only armor she wore where her gauntlets and boots, which without the rest of it, looked a bit off .

"Hmm, I would like to go and take look around the area. Is that alright with you?" Shirou rubbed his sore shoulders. Sleeping on bare rock is not the most comfortable thing. "I also want to stretch my legs while I am at it."

Arturia thought about it for a moment. It was still possible that their enemies were about. "Very well, but stay within sight of the our shelter." Shirou smiled in response and went out.

It was a bit chilly after the storm, but things were warming up steadily. Shirou walked a bit around the tree line. They would have to wait for somebody to come and find them, so the best thing to do was to stay put and wait for help. Suddenly he saw something shimmering in the woods. Shirou approached the trees, but he could not discern what it was. He moved in for a closer look and than suddenly everything went black. Before he could shout he was gagged and had a bag pulled over his head. Several strong arms caught hold of him and started tying him up. He was lifted from the ground and carried away by two men.

Shirou had been gone for a couple of minutes now. Arturia was busy braiding her hair when she heard someone approach and turned around. "Shirou?"

King Arthur's instincts bordered on precognition. She had felt the enemy's intentions before they could execute their attack. The enemy soldiers tried to use a pincer attack, but the attempt failed and the first two attackers were killed before they could even react. The rest of them stopped in their tracks. Partially because of that their ambush had failed, but also because they were confused at the person who stood before them.

"Who are ya?" One of the men asked. Confusion and disbelief resounded through his voice, as did it with all of his comrades. They were shocked because they were expecting to fight king Arthur, they did not anticipated to fight a girl. "I ask ya again: Who are you?"

"Look fool! She is wielding Excalibur." Another pointed at the sword in her hands. "This is the king."

"Get out of here. Are ye saying that king Arthur is a girl? Impossible!"

"It has to be. Look. It is the same face as last night!"

The attackers were in a complete state of confusion. She did not have time for this. "Where is Shirou?! Answer me, villains!"

"We don't answer to you, deceiver! Get her!" And they resumed their attack.

Kay, Bedivere and Tristan were spurring their horses on. Earlier they had spotted smoke coming from near the river. Seeing the smoke was nothing short of a relief as it indicated the possible location of the king and Shirou.

"This is it. I know it is! We have found them, haha." Tristan laughed from the top of his lungs. Bedivere and Kay also shared in his joy. "It is just beyond those trees!"

"Hooray." Kay and Bedivere cried out from joy. But then the sound of metal clashing on metal suddenly reached their ears. Their momentary feeling of joy was replaced by anxiety. When they rode past the trees, they witnessed their king being surrounded by at least twenty hostiles. The sight spurred them on and they executed a charge at the enemy, letting out a battlecry.

The enemy upon seeing the three knights charge and started to panic and scatter.

"Run them down!" Bedivere shouted. The three knights charged into the enemy. Several of them were crushed under the hooves of the horses and several more were cut down by the knights.

While the enemy was being scattered, Arturia rushed one of her attackers and threw him against the ground. The man rolled over and looked Arturia in the eyes. She put the Excalibur's tip on his chest. "Don't move. I have some questions for you." She said with an unnervingly calm tone.

"Ye will hear nothing from me, wench." He spat.

"I don't see Shirou anywhere." Kay remarked as the enemy ran into the forest. "Tristan, Bedivere?"

"No, I don't see him either." Tristan answered with an agitated tone.

"Me neither." Bedivere responded. "Is the king alright? Tristan?"

But Tristan could not answer, for he was staring dumbfounded at the king.

"Tristan? What is wr..." Bedivere's voice just left him, when he saw his king. "My … my king?"

"Guess it was inevitable."Kay muttered while he rubbed his eyes in resignation.

"Are … are you alright, my king?" Bedivere asked with a disturbed voice.

"I am, Bedivere." She was not sure of what to say to them. "Bedivere, Tristan. I know you must have a lot of questions and I will answer them in time. But that will have to wait as our enemy hast taken Shirou."

"We shall pursuit them immediately." Tristan snapped out of his confusion, though he still sounded uneasy.

"I don't think that would be wise. The enemy has retreated into the forest. If we follow them, it would make us easy prey, should they decide to set up an ambush. Not to mention that we don't know how many of them are left. Further more, the trees would hamper our mobility."

"Sound advice as always, sir Kay. What do you propose we do?"

"We have called for reinforcements. If everything has gone as expected, they should have arrived by now." Kay looked at the man on the ground with displeasure. "We should join up with them before we follow them."

"I concur. But we should interrogate our captive first. He could provide us with valuable information. Sir Tristan, see to him."

"At once my king." Tristan took some rope from his saddle bag and began to tie up the captive.

"I shall reveal nothing, ye hear me!"

"Shut your mouth, wretch." Tristan glared at him coldly.

"Seems the secret is out." Kay said with a weary tone.

"Indeed it is." Arturia tapped with her fingers on Excalibur's cross-guard.

"You knew about this, sir Kay?" Bedivere asked.

"That should not be so strange. I am her foster-brother after all. We lived under the same roof for years, or have you forgotten?"

"No, I have not. It is just ..." Bedivere felt vexed. He had spent more time at the king's side and had never even noticed. Bedivere felt ashamed because of this. _I should probably apologize to Shirou too._

He turned to Arturia and bowed. "Please forgive me, my king."

Now it was Kay and Arturia who were surprised. "What do you mean, Sir Bedivere? There is nothing for you to apologize for."

"There is! I beg you forgiveness for my ignorance. I have served you all this time and yet ..."

"Bedivere … Stand up." Bedivere did as she commanded. "You have done nothing wrong. For one to be king, one hast to be male. That is the law and because of that I have concealed my gender and did my utmost to hide the truth for all of you."

Bedivere looked at her with watery eyes and said with absolute pride and earnest: "I understand. My king, I became a knight to serve the king which I admire from the bottom of my hearth. Even if I had been aware of your secret, it would have done nothing to diminish my admiration or loyalty to you."

"You have my loyalty too, my king!" Tristan declared. He looked solemnly at his king. "It was our admiration and respect for you that brought us to your side. It is our privilege to serve you."

Arturia was grateful for these words and a faint smile appeared momentarily on her lips. "I thank you both for your loyalty and dedication." Tristan noticed her brief smile. Perhaps she was capable of understanding others after all.

"It is our pleasure. Uhh, my king, may I inquire as to where Excalibur's sheath is?" Bedivere had only noticed it now that the sheet was missing.

"I am afraid that I have lost it in the river." Arturia gritted her teeth in frustration. "Have you seen it per chance?"

"Afraid not, my king. But maybe Gawain and the others did. They are currently scouring the other side for you and Shirou." Tristan said with a disappointed tone.

"Speaking of Gawain and the others." Kay pointed to the other side of the river. There they were. Gawain, Galahad and Ector.

"Ahah! You have found the king, I see." Galahad shouted with elation.

"Sir Gawain, Shirou has been captured by the enemy! We will meet up at the bridge and prepare to go after them!" Arturia shouted.

"Understood, my king." Ector shouted back. "We have to give him back his bow, after all." Ector pointed behind him to Galahad who was guiding another horse. It was Shirou's horse.

"We found him in the woods." Galahad explained.

"Good! I regret to tell you that I have lost Avalon in the river! Have you seen it?!"

"I am afraid not, my king. But we will keep an eye out on our way back to the bridge!"

"See you at the bridge, my king." Gawain waved. "We shall make those scoundrels pay for what they did." He and the rest rode back upstream.

"Hey, sir Gawain." Galahad sounded a little hesitant. "Does the king seem different to you, somehow?"

"That is just because he was not wearing his armor." Gawain said with certainty. Ector sighed as they would learn the truth soon enough. Arturia arrived a little later at the bridge with Kay, Tristan and Bedivere. Arturia was sitting in front of Kay and Tristan had laid their captive on the back of his horse, like a deer.

"Ah, my king. It seems the reinforcements have not yet arrived, but they should be here so..." Gawain's jaw dropped when he saw 'him', or rather 'her'. He and Galahad stared at her dumbfounded.

"Guess some explaining is in order, my king." Ector grinned with resignation.

A few moments later, Galahad and Gawain had recovered a little from the shock. Galahad was sitting on a nearby stone with his hands folded, tapping his foot nervously.

Gawain was passing about feverishly. "Unbelievable. All this time and nobody knew, not even Guinevere." In the distance the sound of painful groans and screams resounded as Tristan was interrogating the captive.

"Except for me, Kay, Merlin and her parents." Ector reminded him.

Gawain stopped and gave a deep sigh, then he looked up and smiled. "No matter. She is still the king and I will follow her without question. I will remain at her side until the end."

"As will I. I have sworn to serve the king and I will uphold that vow, no matter what."

"I am happy to hear that." Arturia said with a grateful voice. "But I believe, I should cover up now. Not everybody will be pleased by this."

"I concur. But we have nothing that would suffice. We have only found a part of your chest plate and your tassets." Kay started to pace around. "We could give you a cloak, but that would only work if you would move around carefully."

"It seems there is some trouble here." They all looked to the road. There stood Merlin, shaking his head with an expression of amusement and frustration. "Looks like your secret is out, Arturia."

"Yes, due to uncontrollable circumstances. I am glad to see you, Merlin. Your presence is a welcome gift."

"I felt that my help was needed, which seems it is. Sir Kay, would you be so kind to hand me the parts of her armor?"

"Sure." Kay took the parts they had found and gave them to Merlin, who placed the piece of chest-plate and the tassets on the ground

_Taken from the earth, then purified._

_Iron from the earth, tempered by fire._

_Now reformed as steel!_

Merlin chanted. The metal pieces melted together into a steel ball and reformed into a completely new chest-plate and a pair of smaller tassets.

"There this should hide your gender well enough for prying eyes."

"Well done." Arturia started putting on the armor.

"Now! Could you tell me what happened to Avalon, my king?"

"I am afraid that I lost it in the river. It has not been found yet." Merlin sighed heavily, shacking his head. "But more importantly, Shirou has been captured by the enemy. We will pursue them as soon as the reinforcements arrive. Merlin, you need to find out were their camp is. We have captured one of the enemy soldiers, who is currently being interrogated by sir Tristan." Another scream echoed from the forest. "But I am afraid that sir Tristan will not be able to persuade him in time."

"I understand. We shall discuss the matter of Avalon later then. But for the moment I shall see what I can do with our 'guest'" Merlin put up a serious face and walked into the direction of the screams.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Dunstan arrived at the fortress, with Shirou securely strapped to the horse. He stopped at the stables, dismounted and dragged Shirou off the horse. "Tend to my horse." He commanded to on of the nearby soldiers. The soldiers were a bit surprised by Dunstan's early return.

Dunstan made his way to Morgan's workshop. Before he could knock on the door, Morgan called through the door: "Enter." Dunstan went in.

"You are early, Dunstan." Morgan gave him a satisfied smile. "I must admit that I am pleasantly surprised. Congratulations on acquiring Avalon. I have sent some of my confidants to hide it somewhere remotely. Without Avalon the king is vulnerable and we will be able to kill her."

"Yes, 'her'. I must say milady Morgan, seeing that the king was actually a woman was quite the surprise." Dunstan grinned.

"Ah right. I always forget how everybody believed that my sister was a man. Well, she did her best to hide it." Morgan said with loathing. "But tell me, how did you return so fast?"

Dunstan reached into his tunic and procured an amulet. "I got this from a previous dealing with another magus. It allows for quick traveling for a certain amount of time. I have used up all it's time, so it will be some time before I can use it again."

Morgan lifted an eyebrow and nodded. "Very useful. But enough talk. Let us get to know our guest a bit better, shall we." She pointed to a spot on the wall with shackles attached to it. Dunstan put Shirou down and shackled him to the wall, before removing the bag from his head.

Shirou blinked when the bag was removed, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. In front of him stood the large bandit leader. His helmet removed, revealed a handsome face with a square jaw, long black hair and cold ice-blue eyes. The bandit looked at Shirou with emotionless eyes. Next to him stood a woman wearing long, night-blue robes. She had a beautiful face with dark-green eyes and long, blond hair.

"Welcome, mister Emiya Shirou." She said with a wicked smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Morgan le Fay. And this man here is my associate, Dunstan. I hope he did not treat you too poorly."

"Morgan? You are Arturia's sister." Shirou narrowed his eyes.

A satisfied grin appeared on her face. "I am glad you know about that. Yes, and you are my hateful, little sister's honored guest." Loathing filled her voice when she mentioned her. "You are probably wondering why I had thou brought here."

"I have a … suspicion, yeah! You brought me here to learn about the Holy Grail war. Or because you want to use me to bring harm to Arturia." Morgan's grin broadened.

"Both are correct. It will only be a matter of time before they will find us now, so I hope you don't mind if I proceed." Her eyes gleamed with hate and elation as she brought her hands to Shirou's head. Shirou tried to get away from her, but Dunstan held him down. And when Morgan grabbed hold of his head, sheering pain cut through his head. Shirou remembered this sensation. It is the same as when Merlin extracted the knowledge for speaking Japanese. The only difference was that Morgan was trying to hurt him as much as possible in the process. And she was enjoying it. Shirou screamed from the top of his lungs.

Arturia stood on top of a hill gazing at the horizon, where the enemy army was in full retreat. Behind her stood her own army. They had been victorious once again.

"Our king is the dragon incarnate. His actions are truly those of a god of war!" Somebody cried out. "Nobody can stand against him." Shouted another. "He is undaunted by danger and is undefeated." All around soldiers were shouting words of praise and admiration, but …

"But still, sacrificing that village was unnecessary." People whispered behind her back.

"Even if the king did it to assure our victory, we could have defeated them without doing so."

"How can a king who can not understand the hearts of his subjects rule a country? He is so ruthless."

But still she stood there unblinking, unwavering. It was of no concern to her, she had done what was necessary.

Shirou awoke some time later. His head felt as if it had been crushed, and that dream ... When he looked around, he found himself no longer in Morgan's chamber, but in a large cell. His shirt was gone too. He tried to move, but this caused a jolt of pain in his head, blurring his vision. For a moment he thought he had seen somebody. When his eyes regained focus he saw it was a guard.

"Where am I?" Shirou tried to ask, but the guard merely looked at him unblinking and then left.

"Morgan really did a number on me." Shirou rubbed his head. How long has he been out exactly? There was no window, so Shirou did not know if was day or night. Shirou stood up, but it made his head spin, so had went to sit against the wall and rest some more.

After a while Shirou heard footsteps approaching. And voices. Looks like someone is coming to pay a visit. Shirou prayed that it was not Morgan.

"... make him pay." The voice of a young man growled.

"Easy, Beves. We will hast to wait for Morgan's approval." A rough voice replied. "And let us not forget that we were the once doing the ambush. The lad only did what he thought was right."

"How can ye defend him? Our comrades died because of him." The younger one spat.

"Doth not misunderstand, my boy. I too want retribution, but revenge is a double edged blade. Remember that."

"Wise words, Giraud." Shirou recognized that low voice. And a moment later his suspicions were confirmed as four men came around the corner. One of them was Agravain. Shirou also recognized the young man and bandit leader from the ambush. Only the old soldier was unknown to him.

"Good day to you, mister Shirou." Agravain showed no sign of emotions, let alone guilt "How are you feeling?"

"Could be better. Who are your friends?" Shirou groaned from the headache.

"Allow me to introduce to you: mister Giraud and his adoptive son, Beves. And this is the 'Commander'." He motioned to the bandit leader, the crossbowman and the old soldier respectively. "But I reckon that you are, to a certain extend, familiar with Beves and mister Giraud."

Shirou nodded. "The two from the ambush. How is your shoulder?"

"It is fine. Not thanks to ye." Beves gritted his teeth. His expression on of pure anger. "Just ye wait. Once Morgan is done with ye, it will be our turn. Ye shall pay for the dead of me friends."

Giraud laid his hand on Beves' shoulder and pulled him back. "Easy Beves. We shall see what we shall do with him once the time comes." He looked in to Shirou's eyes. "Ye have cost me the lives of most of me men. They were like family to me." Shirou saw the sadness in his eyes. Giraud had indeed cared for them, which made Shirou feel guilty.

"I am sorry. But if I hadn't done that, than those people from the caravan would have been killed by you guys. I merely did what I believed was right." Shirou declared honestly. "Either way, people would have died."

Giraud examined him calmly and then nodded. "I understand. Ye are a good man, I can tell. And me and my men were the ones obvious in the wrong, but know that we will punish ye for the deaths of our comrades." There was no malice in Giraud's eyes, only sadness and anger.

Shirou turned his attention to Agravain. "So how are your preparations for the rebellion going? Is Mordred here as well?"

Agravain lifted his eyebrows. "Indeed he is. He shall come to visit you shortly. And our preparations are on schedule."

"Indeed. I am surprised that you know about sir Mordred." The 'Commander' scratched his head.

"That should not be surprise to you. Have you already forgotten that he came from the future? He probably knows how all this is going to end." Agravain reminded him.

The Commander closed his eyes and nodded as he recalled. "I see. Hmmm. My memory is not what it has been as of late."

"I hope you can understand, mister Shirou." Agravain explained. "We are merely doing what we believe is right."

"And the right thing is betraying the king?" Shirou said with an angry tone.

"I believe I have already told you about the king's shortcoming. Right, mister Shirou?" Agravain rubbed his temple. Shirou merely nodded in reply. "As you know, he sacrificed villages in order to assure our victories, that is one reason. I know we could have defeated our enemies without doing so." Agravain explained calmly.

"Ay, he did! That cruel king sacrificed me home. All me friends and family died because of him!" Beves shouted. His eyes were glistering from the tears he held back. Giraud quickly calmed him down.

"It is as he says. And there many more who have lost their friends and loved ones, in our army." The 'Commander' sighed with a disappointed look. "I once took pride in following him, but the loss of those villages made me doubt him. How can a king who does not understand the hearts of his subjects hope to govern a country?"

"Say, what would have happened if the king hadn't done that?" Shirou interrupted.

"We would have defeated our enemies regardless, even though the destruction would have been greater." The 'Commander' admitted. "But the issue was that he himself sacrificed them. Being destroyed by the enemy is one thing, but to sacrifice... to destroy something you have sworn to protect is a grave sin." Agravain also nodded in agreement, but he didn't seem to disagree with what happened then.

Giraud followed the discussion quietly, while Beves was still trembling with held back anger. Now there was also some confusion to be seen in his expression.

"Indeed. I remember when he pulled out the sword and became our king. Many believed he would fail soon enough, but he proved us wrong. He was an excellent leader and a fearless warrior. But still … Anyway, this rebellion will put an end to his reign." Shirou stared at Agravain who said those words without any emotion." Or should I say 'her' reign? I was always suspicious of the king's gender, but now I have confirmation. Thanks to Guinevere."

"That was quite the revelation." The 'Commander rubbed his chin.

"I want to ask something about that." Shirou glared at the four in front of him with animosity.

"What is it that you want to ask?" Agravain asked with a disinterested tone.

"Why didn't any of you tell her the truth?" Shirou asked aggressively, glaring even more intensely. "If ruling without emotions is a mistake, than why didn't any of you confront her with it?"

Agravain looked at Shirou curiously. The Commander stared at Shirou wide-eyed and rendered speech-less. Beves and Giraud were equally baffled.

"You guys piss me off! The king doesn't understand the heart of of his people? Has any of you ever tried to understand your king!?" Shirou raised his voice even further. "Talking to you made it clear to me. You people never stood by her side even once, while she stood firmly by her country!"

"Enough." Agravain said surprisingly angry. "Let me tell you something interesting. While I am an assassin under the employment of lady Morgan, I still served the king because I believed her to be the best king." Shirou glared at him. Then why did he do this? "We will discuss this further another time." Agravain had no desire to divulge more about himself. "That is, if milady Morgan leaves anything left of you." He said cruelly, before he turned around and left.

"And what about you guys?" Shirou turned his attention to the other three.

"I …" The 'Commander' looked a bit shaken. While he too felt indignant, his eyes betrayed some doubt and even a bit of guilt. Some of Shirou's words apparently got through to him. "I have nothing more to say. Good evening." He turned around abruptly and left. Beves was still angry, albeit somewhat confused. Giraud merely looked at him questioningly and calm. Then he laid his hand on Beves' back and guided him out the dungeon, leaving Shirou alone.

Shirou sat himself against the wall. _Now. How am I going to get out of here?_ He started pondering. A couple of hours passed when he suddenly heard someone enter. A moment later that person stood before him, Mordred.

"Yo, Shirou. Have you recovered a bit? My mother can be quite sadistic." There was indeed a bit of concern in his voice, but not much. He took a stool and sat himself in front of Shirou, placing the silver sword he was carrying against the wall. Shirou eyes widened a bit in surprise when he saw the sword he was carrying.

"Yes, Clarent. I took it from the armory during the confusion when I revealed the queen's infidelity." Mordred 's voice dripped with displeasure. "I had to sneak in like a thief. Not what one would call befitting for a knight, but I know that I will need it for what lies ahead."

Shirou narrowed his eyes and looked at Mordred intensely. There was something odd about the way Mordred was speaking. Suddenly it hit him!

"You are speaking Japanese!" Shirou exclaimed in shock. Indeed, he was. And completely without accent.

"You noticed." Mordred snickered. "Yes, my mother took it from your mind and gave it to me and some of my men." Some of his men? Why would …? Then it dawned to him.

Shirou could feel that Mordred was grinning, satisfied by Shirou's reaction. "We are going to your time to seize the Holy Grail."

"And then what!? Will you wish to become king?"

Mordred suddenly fell silent. He stood up and went to the exit. Shirou heard him locking the door, before he returned.

He went to stand in front of Shirou and spoke with a dead-serious voice: "I have already told you this, Emiya Shirou. I bare you no malice and you will soon learn what I want."

"What are you doing?" Shirou asked hesitantly as Mordred procured a key.

"It is the key to your cell. My mother told me. When she took the knowledge pertaining your language, she discovered of how you rescued the queen." Mordred sounded mildly impressed.

"You are not angry about that?"

"Hmmpf. No, but my mother is. I don't hate the queen. Revealing the truth about her affair with Lancelot was enough to weaken the position of the king." Mordred stepped forward and handed the key to Shirou. "You should know that my mother was planning to make you her plaything, because my father has taken a liking to you. But I managed to persuade her not to. Mordred then removed his gauntlets and started to loosen his shoulder pieces. "I admit, I didn't do it purely out of kindness, but because I want you to return the favor someday."

"What are you doing!?"

"Look, I don't know how this is going to work out with the Holy Grail, but should it end up in failure, than I will come to ask you to return the favor." Once his shoulder pieces were removed he started loosening his breastplate. "While we are in your time, we will obviously come into contact with the locals and I reckon that I would draw a lot of attention in this armor. And that would not be conducive to my quest."

Shirou understood were Mordred was going. "So you will be forced to remove it in order not to draw attention, which means that it will be inevitable that the ones who will chase after you will end up seeing your face as well."

"Exactly." Mordred had finished loosening his armor. "I decided that I would allow you the privilege of being the first one to see my face. I want you to promise me first however, not to tell anyone, as a sign of trust."

Shirou looked silently at Mordred for a moment. "I promise." He said with sincerity.

Mordred nodded in response and removed his, no ...'her' breastplate. Shirou eyes widened, as Mordred undid the straps that bound the helm and removed it. Her face was identical to that of Arturia's. Her hair was more wild though, with the back of her hair tied in a ponytail.

"You …You look just like her. How?" Mordred bit her lip and started putting her armor back on. She did not want to answer that question.

"My father is on his way here. He will arrive tomorrow morning. Most of the men here have already relocated to another camp. The ones who will accompany me are currently making preparations, so I will depart tomorrow with my men to your time. Hopefully before my father arrives."

"But you don't know when the War begins. It could take years or you could even have just missed it when you arrive."

"I know. That is why we needed your shirt. According to what my mother said, an object that passes through the portal will receive a sort of 'imprint', so that once it passes through again it will arrive more or less at the same time that it departed. And if such an object would be attached to something else, the portal would react to it, causing whatever is attached to it to arrive at the same place and time as the imprinted object." Mordred paused for a moment, as this was quite a lot to take in.

"And regarding of how we will obtain information regarding the Grail, that wretch Esdelot will accompany us. If there are any magi in your city than he will help persuade them into revealing anything they know about it. Should this venture end in utter failure, we will simply return." Mordred finished putting on her armor. "Hmmm, I shall send someone to bring you food later."

"Uhm, thank you, I guess. I must say that I was quite surprised that you were a gi..." Shirou didn't finish the sentence as he felt the rising anger and killing intent from Mordred. Shirou froze for a second.

"DO...NOT...CALL...ME...THAT!" Mordred's voice was trembling from anger.

"Sorry. I won't call you that again." Shirou apologized. Mordred's anger subsided.

"You are forgiven ...this time. You should wait to use that key until tomorrow morning. See you in Fuyuki." She paused for a moment. "Say. If you know how this all will end and of my treachery, then why didn't you tell anybody?" She stared at him.

"At first the thought didn't enter my mind as I was overwhelmed and uncertain about what had happened to me." She scratched his head. "After that I was wondering if I should. Also, I didn't think you were a bad person. After the commotion with Guinevere I was thinking about trying to persuade you to stop the rebellion."

Mordred said nothing and simply left. When Shirou heard the door slam shut, he let out a heavy sigh. Seems that Mordred is really touchy about her gender.

The next day. Giraud, Lewis and the remainder of Girauds men were waiting in the basement of the tower. Esdelot was there too, along with five 'followers'. As was Dunstan with twenty of his men. Each of them wore a piece of Shirou's shirt, as to ensure that they arrive at the same time. They had several pieces of magically strengthened rope. Before they would depart, they would tie themselves and their cargo together, so they would not get scattered on arrival.

"Where is Beves?" Lewis asked. "He should be here already."

"He will be here." Giraud assured him. "Besides, Sir Mordred has also yet to arrive."

"Guess ye're right, boss." Lewis looked at the small crates and barrels that they were going to take with them. They all contained supplies and food for their journey. "Is that really going to be enough?"

"At least for a few months. I have told you already, fool-born." Esdelot sighed. "I have explained this already. Capacity distortion spells have been cast on them, allowing them to contain much more supplies than usual. Along with spells to keep the food fresh."

Lewis gave Esdelot an angry, indignant glare and opened his mouth to retort, but Giraud stopped him. Esdelot always regarded any non-magus as inferior. Another thing that made him so despised. While he was supposed to be on their side, nobody trusted him. Not even Morgan.

"Don't do anything stupid." Giraud whispered. "Or he'll burn you to a crisp, or worse."

"Guess ye're right." Lewis bit his lip. "We shall have to watch our backs when we get there. Did ye see those … those servants or whatever they are. They freak me out." Giraud shared the feeling. Esdelot's 'servants' were not normal. They all looked alike and were unnervingly quiet. They would become troublesome, when Esdelot would turn on them. He will turn on them. Giraud just knew it. Esdelot gave them a look of contempt and turned his back on them.

At the same time. Mordred was standing near the West gate. In the distance, the sound of a small army marching could be heard.

"They are almost here." Mordred had remained behind to ensure that there were no traces left for them to follow. "Best get going now." Mordred took her traveling bag and started for the tower, when Beves suddenly appeared.

"Please, wait for me, sir Mordred!"

"Beves!? Why are you still here?"

Beves panted slightly as he stopped in front of her. "Sorry. I was searching for some personal stuff."

"Whatever. Come on. We have to hurry." Mordred started marching in the direction of the tower with Beves marching alongside her.

"So uh … Are we really going to the future?" Beves asked nervously. "Indeed, Beves. Indeed."

"I hope we don't run into any knights. If they catch us ..."

"You worry over nothing. Have you forgotten who? I am the one who has surpassed king Arthur! All those other knights are nothing before me." Mordred's voice dripped with confidence which rubbed of on Beves. Yes! There is nothing to worry about. Not with Mordred leading them.

Suddenly, the sound of horses approaching resounded through the air. In the distance, two riders could be seen.

"Beves! Go to the tower and tell the others to go on ahead. We will meet each other again in the future. I shall hold them off." Mordred's tone indicated that there was no room for argument. Beves gave a nod and ran in the direction of the tower. Mordred threw her bag aside and prepared herself for battle.

Gawain and Bedivere rode at full speed. Merlin had seen through the eyes of a familiar that a handful of possible enemies move towards an old, seemingly abandoned tower. Since it was only a small group, Arturia had decided that the two of them would suffice.

"What do you reckon that they are planning to do in that tower?" Asked Bedivere.

I don't know, but we will find out soon enough." Gawain was eager to exact his revenge on those who killed his brothers, which was easy to discern from the tone of his voice.

"Don't worry, Gawain. We will find Shirou and your brothers' killers."

"There is somebody ahead." Bedivere and Gawain saw two figures in the distance. One was a young man and the other was …

"Sir Mordred!?" Gawain and Bedivere stopped before him and dismounted. "Sir Mordred! What are you doing here?" Bedivere was completely taken by surprise, as was Gawain.

"Who knows. But you two are here for Shirou." Mordred said mockingly.

"What are ..." Gawain then noticed the young man retreating. "I know you. You are the lad who fired that bolt during the ambush. So, this is how it is after all, sir Mordred."

"You bet." Mordred gave a dry chuckle.

"Sir Mordred!" The young man called out.

"Go, Beves! I told you already. These two are mine." Beves hesitated for one more moment, looking worried at Mordred, before he ran of. That worried look made Mordred feel a little irritated for a moment. But she quickly shrugged it of and focused her attention on the two knights in front of her.

"Sir Mordred. Ever since you revealed your self as the king's son, I had my doubts about you, but somewhere I still wanted to believe ..." Bedivere spoke with both rage and disappointment in his voice.

"You can save your breath, Bedivere. Now, let me show you why I am the one who has surpassed my father." Mordred boasted.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall, sir Mordred. But before we begin, I would like to ask you: why?"

"No need to ask, sir Bedivere! It is obvious as to why he is doing this." Gawain's voice was now dripping with contempt.

"I merely want to hear the words coming from, sir Mordred." Bedivere asked, ignoring Gawain.

"I am the one, true heir to the throne. In terms of rule and mastery of the sword I am equal to my father. No, not entirely. I would have be an even greater king." Bedivere and Gawain could almost taste the hatred radiating from Mordred. "It is my Pedigree. It has always has been. That is the reason why he rejected me! If my father will not recognize me then I will prove to the world that there is no meaning to his reign! Now! Enough of this drivel! Here I come!"

Gawain and Bedivere readied their swords. The next moment Mordred rushed them with surprising speed. Mordred's armor was heavier than that of either Gawain or Bedivere and while they had seen Mordred fight before, they were still taken by surprise by how nimble Mordred could move in it.

Mordred attacked Gawain first. She slashed at Gawain's head with pinpoint accuracy. Gawain parried the attack and redirected the force of the blow, but it took considerable effort. Mordred had expected this and made a smooth follow up attack, forcing Gawain to evade. At that moment, Bedivere attacked Mordred's flank. Mordred blocked the attack and forced him back.

"Stay out of this, Bedivere! I will face him alone."

"Oh … Are you so eager to taste defeat, sir Gawain?" Mordred snickered.

"You should save such boasting for after you defeated your opponent, sir Mordred! By the way, is that the real Clarent?"

"It is. Surprised?" Loathing permeated her voice. "You know. I have always despised you the most. Gawain, always the perfect, honor student."

This time, it was Gawain who took the initiative. He launched a series of accurate and peerless strikes at Mordred, who was quickly forced into the defensive.

"Damn it! Don't get cocky, you bastard!"

Mordred executed a powerful swing and broke Gawain's momentum and followed up with a series of powerful attacks. Gawain had to exert a lot of strength to block even one of them, so he nimbly sidestepped most of them and redirected those he couldn't, launching well aimed counterattacks whenever possible. Bedivere watched on tensely as the flow of battle escalated. Gawain's technique was fluid and elegant like flowing water, while Mordred's was like that of a wild beast. If a lion could wield a sword, than that is what it would look like. It was a technique meant for killing, but it also seemed very familiar, somehow.

At one point Mordred suddenly made some distance between herself and Gawain, which she used to launch herself towards Gawain with tremendous speed and power, swinging her sword with equally wild abandon and strength. 'Prana Burst'! She was aiming to cleave Gawain diagonally from his right shoulder down. Gawain knew that he could not block this attack so he had no choice but to evade it. Not fast enough. Mordred still managed to slice through some of Gawain's armor, making a big cut in his side. Gawain, in turn, managed to launch a counter attack and pierced Mordred's armor in the shoulder. He did not however managed to draw blood. The two knights made some distance between each other.

Mordred looked at the crack on her shoulder plate. "Grrrr! You managed to crack my armor!" She looked at Gawain who pressed his hand against his side. "But it seems that I have drawn first blood." Mordred said with a sneer.

"This is only a flesh wound. The fight is not over yet." Gawain retook his stance. He held his sword out and traced the blade with his left. "Blade of the Devoted!" The blade became enveloped in flames.

Mordred immediately raised Clarent. "Crimson lightning!" Clarent became enveloped in red glowing lightning and she charged Gawain. When both weapons clashed it created a shockwave of fire and lightning. Bedivere had barely managed to avoid getting caught in the attack. When the heat and light subside, Bediver could see how the ground around the two warriors was scorched. Some of the trees were still burning. Gawain and Mordred both panted as they glared at each other.

"Ready to continue, Mordred? Cause this fight isn't over." Gawain said with trembling voice. He unconsciously put his hand on his wound.

"Unfortunately it is. I'm sorry, but I have things to do and I believe that I have stalled you two long enough. We shall finish this fight another time and then I shall crush you. You can find Shirou in the dungeon, under the east wing." Mordred grabbed her bag and rushed off, using Prana burst. Bedivere and Gawain tried to stop her, but she was too fast.

"Prana burst! How troublesome when it is used against you." Bedivere walked up to Gawain. "Everything alright?"

"Just a scratch." Bedivere examined the injury.

"More than a scratch I would say, but not a serious injury. Let us return to the ruin. We have to tell the king about Mordred."

"Later. Mordred went in the direction of the tower. We should find out what they are doing there first, before we report to the king." Gawain looked in the direction of the tower, his eyes shining from held back rage. Bedivere was against pursuing Mordred, but he knew that whatever was happening in that tower was apparently important. Gawain's wound was serious, but not life threatening, so Bedivere agreed to Gawain's decision.

"There is nobody here, my king." Reported one of the soldiers. "It seems that it has been abandoned only recently."

"It appears so. Have you found any trace of Shirou?"

"Not as of yet. We are currently searching the castle for him, but giving it's size it could take a while."

"Let me know if you find any thing." Arturia had ordered her men to split of in groups to cover more ground. They were searching for Shirou or anything that could point out his location.

"Yes, my king."

"We will find him. Don't you worry." Kay assured her.

"I know. Where are Merlin and sir Ector?"

"I saw them heading to the basement. It seems that Merlin has found something. Sir Ector probably went with him for protection."

"Hmmm. Why don't we go and see what Merlin has found."

"Of course. It's this way." Kay guided Arturia down in to the basement. It was cold, damp and dark. Kay lighted the way with a torch. They arrived at a heavy, wooden door. It was obvious that this door had been made only recently. When they opened it, they found Merlin and Ector. The room was filled with various tools and items, clearly intended for magical practices.

"Ah, king Arthur. It seems that this was Morgan's workshop. The most important things have of course been moved or otherwise destroyed." Merlin said with a slightly irritated tone. "What a troublesome woman."

"That is not so surprising. She has always been thorough when it comes to covering up her trail. What is that you are examining, sir Ector?" Arturia inquired when he saw Ector reading a bunch of parchments.

"I am not sure. It seems to be a collection of strange symbols, the likes of which are unknown to me." Ector wore a puzzled expression as he tried to figure out what those symbols were.

"Wait. Let me see that." Merlin asked with mild surprise in his voice. Ector handed him one of the parchment sheets.

"Oh my. This is a copy of Shirou's book."

"What? How is that possible!?" Kay reacted shocked. "How could they have managed to make a copy of it. That would require taking Shirou's book in order to copy it. When did ..." Merlin gave Kay a meaningful look. "Ah, of course. Magic!"

"Yes, magic has been employed to copy it. And I am certain that it was done by proxy."

"Which means only one thing. There is a traitor, a spy, inside Camelot." Ector bashed his fist on the table. "And if there is one, then that means that there are certainly more!"

"And judging from the traces we have found, we can conclude that a rather sizable force was using this place as a stronghold." The atmosphere became heavy. "All the evidence is pointing to one conclusion."

"Rebellion!" Arturia gritted her teeth and looked downcast. "I already suspected it, but still... Unification is close at hand and now this. We need to quell this rebellion or everything we have fought for these last ten years could become undone. Why did it come to this?"

Kay walked up to her and laid his hand on her shoulder and spoke with a reassuring voice. "Don't worry, Arturia. We will not let it come to that."

The sound of somebody running was heard and the next moment a soldier entered. "Excuse me, my king. Sir Gawain and sir Bedivere have returned."

"Sooner than expected. Did they find anything?" Ector asked, while scratching his chin.

"Apparently they did, but sir Gawain was injured in the process."

"What? Gawain was injured!?" They were shocked by the news as Arturia exclaimed. "Did they encounter such a powerful foe?"

"It was Sir Mordred, my king."

"It seems you were right after all, Merlin." Arturia spoke softly.

"Sometimes I wish that I wasn't." Merlin sighed heavily. When they arrived at the courtyard, they saw Bedivere busy treating Gawain's wound. Luckily, the wound didn't seem to be that serious.

"Sir Gawain." Gawain looked up when the king said his name. He and Bedivere immediately kneeled. "My king. I regret to tell you that we have failed to stop Mordred from escaping."

"Rise, both of you." Gawain and Bedivere did as she said. "I am certain that you did everything in your power to stop him." Gawain's mouth twitched at those words.

"I am sorry to say this, but I challenged Mordred to a duel, which lead to Mordred's escape." Gawain let his head hang in regret.

"That is... Uh, Shirou?" Arturia was looking towards the other end of the courtyard. There he was, walking towards them, escorted by two soldiers. Arturia rushed over to him. "Shirou, are you alright?" She asked with calm yet worried voice.

"I am. No, need to worry. Aside from Morgan probing my mind, they didn't hurt me much." A flash of anger crossed her face.

"Morgan? What did she do to you?" Tension resounded through her voice.

"Nothing much, I think. She took the knowledge of my language, but unlike Merlin she hurt me as much as she could."

"I shall make her pay for her crimes. You say that she took the knowledge of your language?"

"Yes. When Mordred came to talk to me, sh... he spoke fluently in Japanese. Arturia, they are going to my time. They are after the Grail."

"What!? We must go and stop them. My king ..."

"We will, Gawain. At any rate, I am glad that you are safe, Shirou." She gave a small sigh of relieve. Then she turned her attention to the two soldiers. "Good work finding him, you two."

"We merely did our duty, but I believe it was unnecessary to look for him." said one of them.

"Indeed. He was already out of his cell when we found him." The other nodded.

"Really? Oh, blimey." Ector exclaimed. "How did you manage to do that? Did you use your magic?"

"Eh ...no, actually. Mordred gave me the key." Shirou said nervously.

"Mordred did? Where did you say you found him?" Bedivere asked with a baffled tone.

"In the dungeon under the east wing, sir Bedivere."

"So he didn't lie after all. What is he playing at? I guess there is more to Mordred then we realized." Bedivere rubbed his chin.

"What are you about, Bedivere?" Kay gave him a questioning look.

"Mordred told us that Shirou was located there. But as you can imagine, we were not really inclined to believe him." Bedivere rubbed his chin as he pondered.

"A favor." Everybody looked at Shirou with wonder. "Mordred gave me the key and told me when to use it. He also persuaded Morgan to spare me, but he did it so that I would owe him one."

"I see. So it was merely a business exchange, so to speak." Arturia nodded. "Gather the men! We shall pursue Mordred immediately and prevent him from traveling trough the portal."

"Yes, my king!" The two soldiers said in unison and they went to gather the others.

"King Arthur, I am afraid that Mordred is already in Shirou's time." Bedivere said with a voice filled with regret. Everybody was shocked when Bedivere said that.

"What!? How is that possible?" Ector exclaimed.

"There was another portal underneath the tower. We witnessed it closing, just when we arrived." Gawain explained.

"The second portal!" Merlin sighed heavily. "They used the second portal."

"You knew about this second portal?" Kay asked. "Shouldn't you have told us about it?"

"The second portal was a side portal, much like the ones in Shirou's time. And just like that it never had a fixed location at which it would appear. I wonder how they managed to keep track of it." Merlin started to rub his beard, staring in front of him with a uncertain expression.

"If it helps Merlin. There was a magic circle drawn on the floor where the portal was. Before we could investigate it, a small mud puppet started whipping out the circle. We promptly destroyed it though." Said Gawain.

"Of course! Morgan had stabilized the portal. I should have known. Shame on me." Merlin shook his head. "Now, have you decided how to respond to this development, king Arthur?"

"I have. We shall go after them." Arturia's eyes burned from determination. "Mordred is determined to seize the grail, so it is our duty to stop them. Shirou, I ask you: Will you guide us to your time?"

"Guess it is unavoidable now." Shirou sighed in resignation, but his reply was resolute: "Fine, I will be your guide."


	16. Chapter 15

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 15: The return home

Three days later, Shirou and the others arrived at the portal. Arturia decided that a small group would be more efficient in tracking down Mordred, while avoiding detection. Aside from Shirou and Arturia, the group consisted of Gawain, Bedivere, Kay and Merlin. Tristan, Galahad and Ector were to watch over the kingdom while they remained in Shirou's time, much to their disappointment.

"We have arrived." Merlin said and they dismounted. In front of them was the portal, radiating a pulsing glow.

"This one is much bigger than the one we saw underneath the tower," remarked Bedivere.

"So this is the portal?" Kay approached it, examining it with intrigue.

"Careful that you don't get sucked in, sir Kay. If you go through it without Shirou, we will end up months later from when he would arrive."

"Don't worry Merlin. That shall not happen." Arturia walked up to the portal, her eyes were burning with excitement. "Is everybody ready?"

"Yes, my king!" The others responded in unison.

"Hmm, I have been wondering this for a while now, but where is Excalibur?" Shirou hadn't seen it during the entire trip.

"I have it here with me." Arturia pointed to her left side. Shirou looked more closely. He saw a something like steam, no, more like fog whirling around. It was very difficult to see if you didn't pay utmost attention to it.

"That is..."

"Invisible Air! Now that Avalon is lost, Merlin has created a new 'sheath'. It doesn't grant the benefits of Avalon as you might suspect, but it conceals Excalibur well."

"That's useful." Shirou nodded impressed.

"It is. Is everybody ready?" Arturia eyed the rest of the group. Everybody had packed their armor and weapons in bundles as to avoid drawing to much attention. Not that it would matter much, as Merlin would be using suggestion magic to hide them from view should that happen.

"We are ready, my king." Gawain gave a firm nod and then turned to the two soldiers who had accompanied them. "You two can return to Camelot with the horses. Give Ector, Galahad and Tristan my regards."

"Yes, Sir. We wish you god speed on your quest." They gathered the horses and left.

"Now then. Shall we get going?" Gawain clenched his fists from excitement. Not surprising, as the others were too.

"Yes. Let us go." Arturia said with a voice full of anticipation.

"As ready as we will ever be." Kay grinned. Bedivere gave a nod with a determined expression.

"Let us just depart already!" Merlin was hopping from excitement. Shirou thought that it wouldn't be surprising if he had a hearth attack right now.

"It seems we are ready. Please lead on, Shirou?"

"Alright. Uh... we have to be attached to one another if we want to arrive at the same place and time, right?" Shirou asked out of certainty.

"That is indeed correct." Merlin affirmed.

Merlin casted a spell which tied them all together with a 'rope' of magical energy. Then they lined up in front of the portal.

"OK. On the count of three we jump in." Sirou said, to which everybody nodded. "One...two...three!" They leaped into the portal as one. It was exactly as Shirou remembered it. They were sucked inside and after what seemed to be an eternity, they were thrown out violently. It took them a little while to regain their bearings, but otherwise they were fine.

"Have we arrived?" Gawain asked a little dazed. When they looked around they found themselves standing in a small courtyard.

"Home." Shirou muttered joyfully. And sure enough, they were right there were Shirou had departed. He looked up at the sky. How much time had passed since he was gone? In horizon was still slightly orange and the first stars had already appeared. Almost a day had passed in this time, since Shirou was pulled through which made him feel relieved.

"So this is Shirou's home?" Arturia and the rest examined their surroundings. The architecture was unlike anything they had ever seen.

"It is different, but I already like the feeling of this place. It's so ...tranquil." Bedivere found that tranquil was the appropriate word to describe this place. "What do you think, Gawain?"

"I think that we will find the time spent here to be most interesting." Gawain smiled enigmatic, but the eagerness was clearly visible in his eyes.

"Too open." Merlin remarked suddenly.

"Too open?" Kay asked.

"A magus' home is his stronghold and must therefore be well defended. But Shirou's home is too open, too inviting." A smile appeared on his face. "It's only 'defense' is a boundary field that warns of intruders with harmful intentions. But I must say that it is however very well made and one can clearly feel the humanity in it. Yes, I like it."

Everybody looked silently at Merlin. Shirou felt very impressed. Merlin hadn't been here for more then five minutes, but he already has discerned the properties of the boundary field.

"It was Kiritsugu who made it. Glad you like it."

"So your father did? It seems that your father was definitely a lousy teacher, but he was nevertheless skilled. And I must say, the other boundary field concealing the portal was also very skillfully made." Merlin nodded in approval.

"Uh? Other boundary field?" Now that Merlin mentioned it, Shirou did felt that something was off and when he examined his surroundings more carefully, he spotted several sigils placed around the portal. "Who made this?"

"Given the circumstances, it has clearly been made after Shirou went through!" Kay deducted.

"Indeed. And it's creator is very skilled. I am certain that we will meet it's creator very soon." Merlin smiled from expectation.

"Really? Uhm...well, whatever. Shall we go inside?" The others nodded.

"This way please." Shirou walked to the porch entrance. "Please remove your shoes or boots before you go inside."

"Certainly." Arturia and the others removed their footwear and entered. The sound of an owl could be heard. Merlin turned around and saw the owl sitting on top of the wall, looking at them. Merlin eyed the creature with suspicion.

"Are you coming, Merlin?" Kay asked. When Merlin didn't respond he went to see what was wrong. "An owl? It's certainly strange to see one at this time of day. Are you coming or what?" Merlin nodded slowly and went inside.

Shirou led them to the dining room. Arturia and the others looked around curiously. Which was only logical, as they never had set foot inside a Japanese home before.

"Carrying those bags around must be bothersome." Shirou stopped and slided a door open, revealing an empty room. "You can put them down here for now."

"That would indeed be helpful." Said Arturia and she placed her bag inside.

"Agreed. No need to keep dragging this around all the time," Gawain and the others placed their bags alongside Arturia's.

"Excuse me." Bedivere warned him as he walked passed him. His package was especially big, as it contained his shield. Shirou had caught a glimpse of it when he packed it. The shield reached to his shoulder. It's basic shape was like a kite-shield, but the top was shaped like a crown and it was as wide as a tower-shield. It was beautifully decorated with two outward facing, golden fairies in mirror image of each other, sporting eyes made of emeralds and hair made of silver. The background was like a painting of a lush forest. After everybody had put aside their stuff, Shirou led them to the dinning room.

"You can chose where you want to sit. Does anyone want something to drink?"

"I would like to try this tea you told us about." Arturia said with some expectation weaved in her voice.

"For me too, please" Said Bedivere.

"Same for me and Merlin." Kay raised his hand.

"I will try the tea later, if you don't mind. I would like to try something stronger." Gawain requested.

"Stronger? Uhm, I have some beer, or would you like some sake instead?"

"Sake is a drink from this country, right?" Shirou nodded.

"Then I will take the sake, please."

"Okay, Coming right up." Shirou went to the fridge an took out a small bottle of sake and a drinking cup from the cupboard. "The tea will require some hot water so please wait a moment." He set down the sake on the table.

"We understand. So that is the famous fridge you told us about?" Arturia looked at the large rectangular object questioningly.

"Yes, it is. There is nothing magical about it though."

"For you it isn't, but for us such a thing could not be considered anything else but magical." Bedivere said matter-of-factly.

"Well uh, I guess that is true." Shirou turned on the heater and returned to the kitchen to fill the teapot.

"And this thing works on that electricity thing, you mentioned?" Kay asked, eying the device inquisitively. "How Marvelous. Heating your home and boiling water with it, but not using any wood, nor producing any smoke." Kay stretched his hand out to feel the heat better.

"Remarkable indeed. In our time, only us Magi would be able to do something like that. No wonder that magic has declined so much." Merlin was, just the others, impressed by it all, but it was also clear that he was saddened by the fact that magic had declined so much.

"I am sure that we can find some time to admire the many wonders of this time." Gawain said with excitement in his voice. "Hmmm! This stuff is good. You guys should try it too."

"We most certainly will. How long before the tea is ready, Shirou?" Asked Arturia.

"The water is already hot enough. Just a couple more minutes." Shirou put placed the pot with the tea leaves and the tea cups on the table. He took the hot water and poured it in the tea pot. The smell of tea began to spread.

"What a nice fragrance." Arturia closed her eyes for a moment as she enjoyed the smell. "While we are waiting for the tea, we might want to discuss how we are going to handle our search."

"I suggest that we first acquire some less conspicuous clothing." Kay turned to Shirou. "Do you have any suggestions regarding that, Shirou?"

"I think that my dad's old clothes could be of use. I would say that you all have a similar build like he did." Shirou started pouring in the tea. "If those prove insufficient, we can always buy some new ones." Shirou's expression tensed as he thought about how much this was going to cost him. Maybe he should ask Raiga for money.

"Judging from you expression, buying new clothes could be costly. But don't fret about it, as we have taken that into consideration." Arturia said with reassurance. "Please show it to him, Kay."

Kay procured a small bag and emptied it out on the table. It contained many precious gems and some valuable jewelry. "We didn't know how long we would remain here and since you are allowing us to use your home, it would only be fair that we pay for our own expenses." Kay grinned. "Even if our countries use different currencies, I am certain that these would be valued greatly, regardless of time or place."

"Sir Kay is always a step ahead when it comes to management and finances. We only need to find someone who can exchange them." Bedivere took a sip of tea. "Hmmm! This tastes good."

"I concur. A delicious beverage indeed." Merlin said. Arturia and Kay nodded in agreement. "I wonder who will be coming knocking on the door."

"Oh, are you already expecting somebody to arrive?" Gawain eyed Merlin curiously.

"Hey, What do you mean by someone knocking on my door?" Shirou was completely surprised by what Merlin said.

"What I meant. This house was being watched and I am certain that the one watching will be arriving shortly." Merlin put his cup down and rubbed his beard.

"My house was being watched?"

"With a familiar. The owl that was sitting on the wall."

"That owl was a familiar? I thought it was strange to see an owl at this time of day, but now it makes sense."

"Do you think that they have hostile intentions?" Arturia asked with a serious tone, her eyes saying 'let them come.'.

"No, I don't think so. I am certain that familiar belongs to the same person who concealed the portal."

"I see, then we ..." Arturia was interrupted when the doorbell rang.

"What matter of sound is that?" Bedivere asked slightly surprised.

"That would be the doorbell." Shirou said calmly. "Please wait here. I'll go see who is at the door." Shirou left the dinning room.

"I think we are about to meet our mystery magus." Merlin fidgeted in anticipation. Arturia tilted her head questioningly.

"Tohsaka? What are …. You are here about the portal, aren't you?" Shirou concluded quickly.

"Glad you understand the situation. Please excuse me." Tohsaka entered rather forcefully. "So where are your guests?"

"Uh, well ...they, they are in the dining room." Shirou pointed the direction. "Hey, wait!"

Shirou followed Tohsake as she rushed towards the dinning room with a very tense expression. When she arrived at the dinning room she, her expression changed to hopelessness. "So I did see it right. Jeez, this is the worst possible situation."

Arturia and the others stared at Tohsaka silently. Shirou stood behind her scratching his head.

"Would you like some tea?"

Toshaka let out a deep sigh. She sat herself down next to Kay as Shirou poured her some tea. "Thank you, Emiya-kun." She took a sip as she eyed Arturia and the rest, who simply gazed at her silently. "So, are you going to introduce us, Shirou-kun? From the looks of it, they seemed to be knights. Don't tell me ..."

"Well, yeah. Tohsaka-san, meet Gawain, Bedivere, Kay, Merlin and Arturia." Shirou motioned to each of them respectively. Tohsaka fell silent and looked at them incredulously.

"The knights of the Round Table." Her gaze shifted to Arturia. "Are you really king Arthur?"

"Yes, I am indeed. Pleased to meet you, Tohsaka Rin." She said with dignity.

"Uhm... Pleased to meet you too. Allow me to cut to the case. Why are you people here? Please tell me you followed him here by accident."

"I am afraid not. We are here to capture Mordred and his men."

"Mordred is here too?"

"Yes, unfortunately so. He learned from the Holy Grail through Shirou, and is now here to seize it."

"I see." Tohsaka slammed her fists on the table. "DAMN IT! This even worse! Mordred is after the Grail?! This will alter the course of history for sure! The Association will have my head once they learn of this." She gripped her head in frustration.

"Rest assured milady, that we will stop Mordred before that happens." Bedivere declared firmly.

"I hope I will be the first to find him. After all, I have to repay him for that injury."

"Who finds him first is unimportant. What's important is that we find him and bring him back to our time as soon as possible. Don't let your desire for a rematch cloud your judgement."

"Naturally, my king. Rest assured that I will not fail in my duties."

"You sound quite devoted." Tohsaka remarked.

"My king's wish is my command. I will do anything my king demands, no matter what it is."

"I see." Tohsaka cast an unsure glance at Gawain.

"By the way, Tohsaka. I want to return this to you." Shirou procured the notebook from his pocket and handed it over. "You lost this at school."

Tohsaka looked a bit confused when she took it. "Thank you, Shirou-kun. Strange. I thought that I left this at home." Tohsaka began to ponder while she stared at it. She had memorized it completely, but sometimes she still browses through it.

_Let's see. I returned home after covering up some portals. Upon my return I took a quick look at it. Then Kotomine called. I answered the phone ...gaahhhh...and I accidentally put the notebook in my coat's pocket._

"I messed up." She let her head hang from exasperation.

"So these are the skyscrapers Shirou told me about." Mordred whistled as she looked down. The building she stood on was well over a hundred meters tall. She was genuinely impressed as she looked around with excitement. "These buildings are even taller than Camelot. Haha!" A broad grin appeared on her face. She couldn't wait to explore this place.

As expected, she has been separated from her group. Her arrival had been most exhilarating. When she was thrown out of the portal, she almost fell to her death. But she managed to hold on at the last minute on one of those steel beams.

She knew that she would attract too much attention when she donned her armor. But she had come prepared. She removed it and made it into a tight package wrapped in cloth. She wrapped Clarent in leather and tied it all together. She swung the whole package and the traveling bag over her shoulder and made her way to the door. The traveling bag contained some food and a small collection of jewelry and gold coins as well as a change of clothes.

"Let's go and explore this place!" She trusted her fist into the air and made her way to the door. She took a last look at the roof. The roof was rather strange. Several metal masts pointed upward with some of them capped with pulsating lights. And than there was that elevated platform with a large H painted on it. Shirou hadn't told her about that. Even the door was strange. Made out of metal and door handle which spanned the entire width. She entered through the door and descended down the stairs.

It seems that the building was mostly deserted. The stairs and hallways are dark. The last of the suns rays shone through the windows. "How tedious. These stairs just keep on going." Mordred grumbled after descending around ten floors. When she arrived at the next floor she found it lit. At the end of the hallway she saw a man closing a door before walking toward two metal doors without handles. He pushed on something. Mordred approached him to see what was going on. Above each of the two doors she saw lit up numbers with the left one counting up.

The man suddenly turned around when he heard her approach. Surprise and curiosity were written all over his face. "Good evening, young miss. May I ask what a girl like you is doing here at this time of day?" There was however a disapproving look on his face as he examined her appearance.

Mordred's clothes were bright red for the most part. She wore red boots and black leggings which were tied to her thighs with red straps. A red decorated waistband from witch a black cloth departed witch covered her front and a substantial back tail. A red band with black leather straps covered the barest minimum of her chest, leaving her navel and shoulders exposed. Her arms were covered by detached sleeves, also red. The whole was finished by a decorated red neck band. The entire outfit wasn't exactly modest.

Miss? Girl? Mordred gritted her teeth. Part of her wanted her to lash out, but she bit back the urge. _Well, this was to be expected. Just bear with it. _

"I was gazing at the sunset on the roof. The view is very enthralling."

"True. Those are some odd clothes. Was there a costumed party somewhere?"

"It is not polite to pry, you know." Mordred narrowed her eyes.

"My apologies, miss. I was just curious." Suddenly a small bell sounded and the left door opened, revealing a small room. The man stepped inside. Mordred stared at the small room with wonder. "Uhm... Aren't you going down as well? The elevator is much more convenient."

_Elevator? I don't believe that Shirou had said anything about that, whatever it is. _But she didn't sense any danger, so she stepped inside. The doors closed behind her and the man pushed a button labeled with a '0'. A small jolt was felt as the little room started moving. Mordred could feel that they were descending. She examined the room curiously and she looked up to the light. Mordred stretched out her hand to touch the light. _Light without heat. Amazing._

The act didn't went unnoticed by the man. Mordred retracted her hand and took a casual stance when he felt his gaze. A slight blush appeared on her face. The bell rang again and the elevator stopped.

"Good bye." Mordred said as she hurried out. She walked towards the exit. The entire exit was seemingly closed of by glass. _How do people get past this?_ Her question got answered when two of the glass panes parted as she approached. Mordred didn't stop to think about it and walked right through before it closed again.

"I should find some other clothes first and a place to sleep. I wonder where I could sell these gems?" She looked around. Buildings everywhere, but none that indicated if she could sell them there. She started to explore some more while ignoring the stares some people casted on her.

"What do you think of the movie, Maki-chan?" Asked Yukika.

"I don't know. Kinda bland plot if you ask me, Yukicchi. The action scenes were good though, especially that chase." She thrust her fist into the air. "What about you, Kane?"

"Nothing special. The plot was indeed bland, but not that bad." Kane said rather disinterested.

"I didn't really like it. The only good thing about the movie were the action scenes. I felt like I wasted some money there." Mitsuzuri had gone to the movie separately from the trio. They encountered each other on the way out, and decided to walk home together for part of the way. And why not? It was a beautiful Friday evening. "And you Saegusa-san?"

"Ah...I thought it was alright." She said as they entered the riverside park. "There are not a lot of people. Is it that late already?"

"It seems so. The sun has already set." said Kane matter-of-factly. They turned their heads at the sound of loud laughing. A group of young males were making quite a racket. Two of them were clearly drunk. One of them had noticed them and directed his comrades attention to them.

"The way they look at us makes me feel uncomfortable." Yukika said nervously, taking a step backwards.

"Your right, Yukika. I say we get moving." Kane agreed.

"You don't think they will try anything? Let them come. I'll teach them a lesson!" Kaede felt sure of victory. "We even have Mitsuzuri with us. With her martial arts we should be OK."

"I'm not so sure, Kaede." Ayako said hesitantly. She was gazing tensely at the now approaching group. "They outnumber us, and some of them look like they are in good shape."

"I concur. Let's get going." Kane had also gotten a bit nervous.

"Yo, little kitties." Looks like there was a seventh one. He suddenly appeared before them, blocking their escape. "Are we having a good time tonight, ladies?"

"Hey, aniki. Don't go hogging all the fun!" said a guy with waxed hair. The men had formed a circle around them. "What do you say, girls? Wanna have some fun?" He said with a cocky grin as his eyes traced their bodies.

"No. We are just leaving." Mitsuzuri said firmly. "Now, if you would excuse us."

"Come, come now. Don't be like that." Said another with piercings in his lip and nose as he grabbed Yukika by the wrist.

"Hey! Leave Yukicchi alone, you bastered." Kaede lashed out at the guy with the piercings, but he dodged it.

"Whoho! This kitty has some spunk." Yelled a guy wearing a black T-shirt and leather jacket. He grabbed Kaede by the shoulders and smacked her on her butt.

"That's harassment!" she jelled. Suddenly the guy had his hand grabbed by Ayako, who promptly executed a shoulder throw, smacking the guy on the ground.

"Leave us alone, jerk!" Mitsuzuri said warningly, before two others grabbed her from behind, restraining her.

The man with leather jacket stood up and brushed his clothes of. "Nice throw, girly." He was surprisingly calm. "You should know that I do some martial arts myself, so I am used to getting thrown around. I must say that your throw was one of the best I have ever seen. Haha! I like that in a woman."

"Hey, aniki. Look over there. That is one hot chick." One of his comrades pointed toward an approaching figure. It was a girl of small stature with finely textured golden hair and a beautiful face. She had an odd wild air about her.

"Get away from here!" Mitsuzuri jelled. But the girl payed no heed as she walked up to them.

"Hahaha. What is with those clothes?" The one with the piercings said laughing. They all looked at her not-so modest clothes which somehow seemed like something you would find in medieval Europe. Besides that she was carrying a rather large bag on her back.

"Yo, girly! Are you lost or something?" One of drunk guys walked up to her.

"What did you call me?" The girl asked with a dangerously low voice.

"Huh?" The guy stopped, looking at her a bit baffled.

"Don't call me that!"

"What? You mean girly?"

"Don't call me girl! I hate that." she glared at him.

"Another feisty one." One of his comrades smirked. "What is wrong with calling a girl a girl, G-I-R-L-Y!?"

"I warn you! Stop calling me that! This is your last warning! Now get lost, scum!" Her mood kept plummeting and her anger kept rising.

"That girl is crazy." Kaede whispered. "But she got some guts."

"She is totally challenging them. This can't end well." Kane remarked nervously.

"I hope she will be alright." Yukika said timidly. The man with the leater jacket followed the event closely. Unlike his comrades who were enjoying it, he tensed. Something that didn't went unnoticed by Ayako.

"She is getting too cocky for her own good. Teach her a lesson, Toya!" Jelled another one as the man with the waxed hair walked up next to her.

"Easy now, fellas. It is obvious that she doesn't like to be called a girl." As gentlemen we should respect that." He said mockingly. "Why don't you put down those bags and come with us, so that we can work this out." He grabbed the bag she was carrying. The girl let him take it without a fight. As soon as she let go of it, the bag fell to the ground, forcing the man to bend over. The loud noise of metal hitting metal could be heard as the bag hit the ground. The man's eyes went wide with surprise. "What the...? This thing is bloody heavy."

"You're just a wimp, hic." The drunk man took a step forward. "You don't want to be called a girl? Well then. If you are not a girl, than you should have no problem with me touching these imaginary boobs." He reached out to touch her breasts, but he stopped when he saw the murderous look in her eyes.

"Enough of this!" She growled. The girl grabbed the man by his belt and swung him with great force against the guy with waxed hair. Both flew several meters before skidding to a halt. "You deadbeats get out of here before something really bad happens."

Everybody stood still, staring in bewilderment. One of the drew a knife and rushed her. "You are going to pay for that." The man with the jacket suddenly blocked his way. He grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. "What are you doing?"

"That's enough!" He said calmly. "OK, men. We have had enough fun for tonight. Release the girls."

"Todo-aniki. You can't be ser..." One of them tried to protest, but he was silenced by Todo's glare.

"I apologize for our behavior." He said politely to the girl. "We sometimes lose ourself a bit in the moment. I hope we can part without hard feelings."

The girl eyed him for a moment. "Don't let me see you again."

Todo nodded. "Alright boys. Let's get moving." The others had already let go of the girls and started leaving. Todo helped the other two to their feet and guided them away.

"That was amazing! You are really strong. Thank you for helping us." Kaede jumped from joy.

"Who knows what those thugs would have done to us. My name is Mitsuzuri Ayako. Again, thanks for your help." She extended her hand.

"Well met. My name is Mordred." She gave Ayako a firm handshake with a broad grin.

"And these three are Saegusa Yukika, Makidera Kaede and Himuro Kane."

"I am Saegusa Yukika. Pleased to meet you, Mordred-san. " Yukika made polite bow.

"I am Kane. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Said Kane softly. "That was some feat. I didn't know that someone with such a stature could do such a thing."

"You can say that again. You just threw those guys as if they were rag-dolls." Kaede sounded uncharacteristically timid as she said that as she moved behind Kane. "Kaene, the black panther of Homura. Pleased to meet you."

"That means self-styled black panther of Homura." Ayako whispered. "Anyway, we owe you something. Is there any way we can repay you?"

"Well met." Mordred said rather haughty. Kane and Kaene looked a bit overwhelmed by her. Both by her beauty and her strength. Ayako was also impressed, but she maintained her composure better. Only Yukika seemed unaffected, albeit only in awe of

"Hmmm. Some ale would be nice. And some information." She closed her eyes and nodded.

"Ale? Do you mean beer, Mordred-san?" Asked Yukika timidly. Mordred nodded.

"I believe that Copenhagen is still open. We could go there." Suggested Kane. "I know that the place becomes a pub in the evening."

"Copenhagen? Very well. Shall we go then?" Ayako looked to Mordred.

"Lead the way." She said as she gathered her bags.

Most shops had already closed, but Copenhagen was still open. While making their way to Copenhagen, Mordred eyed her surroundings with abundant curiosity.

"So, Mordred-san. Where do you come from?" Asked Kane inquisitively.

"I hail from Britain." She said absentmindedly as she examined the shopping window of a TV store intensely. She witnessed a scene on the TV were people went up and down a set of moving stairs. "Moving stairs? Are the people that lazy nowadays?"

"Uhm...Is this your first time seeing an escalator, per chance?" Asked Ayako surprised. "Those things are quite common now a days."

A slight blush appeared on Mordred's face and she bit her lip. "I...have lived a rather secluded life." She decided, which was not entirely untrue, considering how her mother raised her in seclusion for most of her life.

"Ah, I see. I thought that it was strange. You seemed to be exited from just about anything you see. To be honest, you seem to be unfamiliar with modern society as a whole." Kane remarked with intrigue. "Sorry for saying this, but to be this excited about everyday things, I would say that you have been living under a rock, rather than in seclusion."

"Ahum. Yeah, you could say that." Mordred averted her eyes.

"Now we are busy about strange things. I was meaning to ask you, but what's with those clothes? Those are beyond old-fashioned. That is more like medieval!" Kaene asked brusquely. "They are daring though."

Mordred narrowed her eyes. "I know. But as to why I am wearing these, I shall not say. Mostly because you wouldn't believe me anyway. It's one of those things you should have witnessed yourself, in order to believe it." They all looked at her with pondering expressions for a moment.

"I guess we can accept that explanation." Ayako said eventually.

A few moments later they arrived at the Copenhagen. Mordred examined the myriad of bottles that stood on display. She never could have imagined that their could be this much variety amongst liquor. Suddenly a a woman wearing a black apron entered.

"Ah, Neko. How are you doing?" Asked Ayako.

"Good, thanks for asking. Here for a drink? That would be a first for you." Mitsuzuri nodded. Neko moved behind the counter and started fetching some glasses. "Who is the blond girl? She is really beautiful."

"Don't call me that." Mordred grumbled with a low voice. Her mood worsening fast.

"Huh?" Neko tilted her head questioningly. "You mean girl?"

"Yes! Do not call me that. It's vexing." Mordred gritted her teeth.

"Excuse me, Mordred-san. Why don't you like being called that way?" Asked Yukika.

"That is none of your concern. I ask that you don't bring up this subject again."

"Alright, we understand. We shall no longer talk about it." Said Neko appeasingly. "So, what do ya wanna to drink?"

"I think some beer will do." Said Ayako. "My treat. I'll have a blond. What do you want Mordred-san?"

"Sake. I have never had sake before and I am curious to try it out." The curiosity was clearly visible in Mordred's eyes. It was one of the many things Shirou had told them about in Camelot and she was eager to try it out.

"Sake, it is then. What about the rest of you?"

"Do you have some alcohol free beer?" Asked Yukika.

"Sorry, but this is a liquor store." Neko shook her head, grinning.

"We will just have some blond beer as well. With the lowest alcohol percentage you got, please." Said Kane calmly. "Is that alright for you, Yukika?" Yukika gave a silent nod.

"Dark beer for me please!" Kaede said vividly.

"Alright, coming up." A moment later they were sitting around a table, enjoying their drinks. Neko leaned over the counter, cleaning a glass. "How are things at school, Mitsuzuri-san?"

"Good, good. My only complaint is Shinji's behavior as usual. And then there is Fujimura-sensei's usual antics as well." She took a sip from her beer as she observed Mordred enjoying her sake.

"Ohh, you're one of her students? She is incorrigible. I always worry about how she influences Emiyan." Neko sighed. "He is such a hard worker."

"Ah, that's right. Emiya mentioned before that he works part time here, doesn't he?" Ayako recalled. Mordred looked up from her drink when she heard them mention Emiya. But was it that Emiya?

"Emiya? As in Emiya Shirou?" Kane crossed her arms, closing one of her eyes.

"Ah, do you know him as well?" Asked Neko a little excited as she cleaned some more glasses.

"Emiya? The Homurahara brownie!? He works here?" Kaede interrupted. "The one that fixes the school equipment?"

"I didn't know that he had such a nickname, but yes. That's him." Ayako confirmed. "He seems to be sick though. I heard it from Sakura when this morning during practice."

_Sakura, Taiga... So it is Emiya Shirou._ Mordred thought in silence

"He is sick? That is unusual." Neko remarked surprised. "No worries though. He is pretty resilient."

"According to Sakura it wasn't anything to serious either." Ayako confirmed. She turned her attention to Mordred. "How do you like the sake, Mordred-san?"

"It's very good. Totally different from what I'm used, though. " Mordred said in approval with a smile.

"I am glad to hear it." Said Neko. An expression of wonder appeared on her face. "So, your name is Mordred? Like the knight of treachery from the legend of king Arthur?"

_Knight of treachery!? Well...Considering what I am doing,it should not be that surprissing._ She bit back her annoyance and nodded slowly. "Yes, that is my name."

"But isn't that a boy's name? I mean you are a g...!? Kaede fell silent for a moment at Mordred's glare. "Sorry. I mean ... it is a quite unusual name, Isn't it?!" She stammered nervously.

"Why don't we talk about something else, instead." Ayako changed the subject before this would end badly. "Which school do you attend to?"

"School? I never went to school." She said flatly before she took another sip.

"You never went to school!?" Kaede's yelled as her eyes went wide with disbelief. The others were also surprised, but reacted much calmer. "I reckon that you had much time for yourself then? Since you didn't had to study and such!" Mordred eyed her calmly as she drank some more.

"Calm down Kaede. Just because she didn't went to school, doesn't mean that she didn't had to study." Kane gave her an annoyed glare. "Besides it is not that shocking. There are many people who pursue alternative ways to learn."

"Kane-chan is right, Maki-chan." Yukika turned to Mordred. "So...What did you do then? Did you had home-schooling? A private tutor, maybe?" She asked with a smile. Mordred stared at Yukika for a moment.

"My mother educated me. Although she only thought me things which she believed I would need." Mordred explained, waving her hand.

"I see. So you're saying that your mother only taught you a few specific things, rather than everything one would normally learn at school?" Kane observed.

"Precisely. You are very perceptive, aren't you? Unlike your dimwitted friend here." Mordred grinned.

"Hey!" Makidera shouted indignant. "Kane might be our chief strategist, but I am not a dimwit!" She raged as jumped up.

"That last part is debatable." Kane grinned. Yukika gave a nervous smile. Ayako was holding back her laughter.

"Say. Why does she call you chief strategist? Are you part of an army or something?" Mordred asked in surprise. Looking at the trio incredulously.

"No, they aren't." Ayako explained smiling. "They are the infamous track girl trio and Kane is the brains of the outfit."

"I am not a strategist and neither is Maki our general." Kane explained quickly.

"I see." Mordred took another sip. Meanwhile, Maki returned to her seat, with a surly expression.

"Say, what is in that bag?" Makidera pointed to the largest of the bags. "It seems to be something very heavy." Mordred shot her an annoyed glare.

"Uhm...Maki-chan. It's not polite to pry." Yukika said with a gentle voice.

"You should listen to your friend. Most people don't like it when people meddle with their affairs." Neko chipped in.

"It's alright." Mordred said calmly, putting down her cup. "There is something I would like to ask you guys. I am hoping you could help me with my current problem."

"We shall see what we can do." Said Ayako. She put down her glass and looked Mordred in the eyes. "What is that you need help with."

Mordred took a piece of dried meat from her small bag. "I am looking for a place to sleep, but as I don't know the city and currently don't have any money, I am in a bit of a bind. It's only for a short while." She took a bite.

"That is a problem." Ayako looked a bit at a loss. "I have to consult my parents first. But the chance that they will agree is small. What about the rest of you?" She looked the trio.

"Sorry. My parents won't allow a stranger to stay. If she was along time friend it would be different." Yukika sighed with a sad face.

"Same goes for my parents." Kaede waved her hand. "Sorry, buddy."

"The possibility is small. It will be difficult to convince my parents." Kane averted his eyes as she started to ponder. "You said that you don't have any money?"

"Yes, that is correct. That is to say, not right now." Mordred took another bite. "I do have some valuables with me. I will sell them to pay my expenses."

"Valuables?" Kane's expression became very curious. "Like jewelry?"

"Yes, exactly." Mordred procured her pouch of jewelry and coins and put them on the table. "These things were only collecting dust, so I decided to sell them for money."

Everybody looked baffled at the collection of jewelry and gold coins. Anyone could tell that they were extremely valuable. Mordred had to smirk at the sight of their expressions.

"Where did you get these?" Makidera said breathlessly. "Did you steal them?" She blurted out involuntarily.

Mordred's expression darkened. "No, I didn't. Don't think that I would stoop so low as to steal." She said with a very convincing tone. Which was in fact true. Most of the riches to fund the rebellion were stolen on Morgan's orders to help fund the rebellion. But these came from Mordred's personal possessions. Her pride as a knight would not allow her to steal.

"Sorry. Makidera hurriedly apologized.

"You shouldn't say things like that, Maki-chan." Yukika said as a look of exasperation appeared on everybody's face.

"You know what. I shall make a quick call and see what my parents have to say about it." Ayajo decided. "Maybe I can convince them to let you stay for a while."

"Much appreciated." Mordred gave a firm nod. Ayako took out her cellphone and called home.

Dunstan and Giraud were returning to their group after carefully scouting out the city. They didn't went far. The only went as far as the road leading to the city as they didn't know yet what their next move would be.

"Incredible. Simply incredible. How many people do ye think are living in that city?" Giraud shook his head in disbelief.

"Thousands, at the very least." Dunstan was no less impressed.

"What are we going to do about sir Mordred? Do ye think he has already arrived?" Giraud looked over his shoulder to the city.

"I am quite certain that he has. There is nothing to worry." Dunstan didn't care about Mordred in the first place. But now was not the time to betray him. "Once we are done securing the castle, we'll have Esdelot send out familiars to find him."

"A sound plan. I was mighty surprised to find a castle in the middle of the woods. And for it to be a Magus' workshop. We were really fortunate that it was uninhabited at the moment." Giraud stretched his arms out. "I must say. It doesn't look like any castle I have seen before."

"True enough. Esdelot should have removed any magical defenses by know. The castle's isolated location makes it the perfect location for our stronghold." Dunstan was already thinking about how to secure it. Because this castle didn't seem to be designed to withstand an assault. When they arrived they saw that their men were already moving their equipment inside.

"Boss Giraud! Ye're back." Beves came running when he saw them. "The castle has been secured. Aside from some magical defenses, there were no other means of deterrence encountered"

"Good work, Beves. Why don't ye show us around our new lair?" Giraud grinned.

"Certainly. Right this way!" Beves was truly excited about it all. Who could blame him? "This castle is nothing like we've ever seen before. I would say that it had been build for luxury alone."

"Really now? Did Esdelot learn anything about the power of the owner?" Beves shrank a bit back under Dunstan's cold glare. "He said that whichever Magus lives here, is surely very capable. But his power is nothing to worry about and that he is only skilled in the area of Alchemy. Not really suited for combat. Should he return then he would most likely be accompanied by combat homunculi."

Giraud and Dunstan were surprised at the interior of the castle. The floors were covered with marble. A red carpet covered the entrance hall to a broad set of stairs. Busts stood on pedestals along the walls and a huge crystal chandelier hanged from the ceiling. Their stay here will at least be comfortable.


	17. Chapter 16

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 16: First night

It was already late in the evening. Shirou had had given the knights some of his father's clothes. As Shirou had expected, it fit them well. Only for Kay were they too small. They should buy some clothes for him. Only Arturia was still in her dress. Tohsaka had gone home, saying that she could provide some clothes for her.

"I kinda like these clothes." Bedivere examined himself in the mirror. He was wearing a gray suit from Kiritsugu. "I only have an issue with the color. It's too dreary."

"I concur." Said Kay. He and Bedivere both wore a black suit. "At least yours and Gawain's fit you." Kay was the tallest of the three, as he towered a full head above Gawain and Bedivere.

"Sorry. But I don't have much else. We shall buy you some new clothes when we have the time. In the mean time you could wear these." Shirou showed him some traditional Japanese clothing from his father. A kimono and hakama pants. "They are wider and will fit you better."

Kay eyed the clothes curiously for a moment, then he nodded. "Thank you, Shirou." He retreated to one of the chambers to change again.

"Let's see. That leaves only you." Shirou looked at Arturia. "Tohsaka said she would be back soon. So you'll have to wait a bit longer."

"That's not a problem. You could show us around your house in the meantime." Arturia was gazing eagerly through the hallway.

"I'll do that. And while we're at it, we can decide on which rooms you'll be using." Shirou started to look around as he felt that there was someone missing.

"Where is Merlin?" Bedivere asked the question which was on Shirou's mind. "He was here a minute ago."

"He's probably exploring the place." Gawain rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Let us find him before he causes any problems."

"Before who causes any problems?" A cheerful voice came from behind Shirou.

"You finally reverted back to you own appearance, Merlin?" Arturia remarked. The tone of her voice indicated that she was waiting for this. Shirou turned around. He stared in disbelief when he saw Merlin.

His appearance was completely different. Before them stood a youthful looking man with fair features and bright blue eyes. He wearing robes made of fine materials which somehow still seemed modest. His hair was long, white and shiny. The most noticeable thing about him were his long, pointy ears. "Yes, I have indeed. I was just checking out the ...living room, was it? That thing called TV was really interesti...whoooo!" Merlin somehow manged to slip and fell on the ground. "O dear. How clumsy of me." Shirou helped him up. He was beginning to realize that he had only just begun to undestand his true nature.

"So this is your real appearance?" Shirou examined him from head to toe. "You might want to hide those ears." He remarked.

"I shall do that." He smiled mischievously.

"What's all this ruckus?" Kay returned to the hall, wearing the traditional clothing. It really suited him. "I see that merlin has returned to his original form. About time."

"Well, yeah. It has been rather fun playing for old man." He grinned sheepishly. "By the way, Shirou. Do all women dress like that in this age?"

"Uhm...Some of them, I guess." Shirou mumbled.

"I already like it here. I hope she returns soon." Merlin had been casting rather naughty glares at Tohsaka. For somebody who lived in an age where women only wear long dresses, something like Tohsaka's miniskirt and thigh-highs must be really exciting.

"Behave yourself, Merlin. Don't go causing any trouble." Kay berated him with a disapproving look.

"You're such a spoilsport, Kay." Merlin pouted. "Don't tell me that you disapprove of her clothing."

"It was rather uhh...daring." Bedivere coughed, his face blushing slightly. He seemed to be rather uncomfortable with it.

"Well, I don't mind. If I wasn't married, I would certainly make a move." Gawain had a disappointed expression.

"I know how you feel about your wife, Gawain. But you are married and thus are you obliged to remain faithful." Arturia reminded him with a firm tone.

"Gawain dislikes his older wife." Merlin whispered quickly into Shirou's ear.

"Anyway, you were going to show us around your place." Kay changed the subject.

"Yeah, let's." Shirou agreed. The next ten minutes Shirou showed them around the house. He showed them how to use the bathroom and toilets, as well as the AC, lights and kitchen. Once that was done, it was time to choose rooms.

"So, has anybody decided already on which room they want to take?" Shirou looked at the others.

"I will take the one of the rooms overlooking the garden, if nobody minds." Bedivere began.

"None. Then I will take the room next to you." Said Gawain.

"One of the bedrooms in the outbuilding. The desk will be handy for my experiments." Merlin smiled brightly. "What room will you choose, Arturia?"

"Proper etiquette would indicate that she would receive the best room in the house, as she is the king." Gawain said seriously. "Which reminds me. You haven't shown us those rooms?" He pointed to the rooms in the back.

"Hmm. Ah... those are some more Japanese-style rooms. One of them is mine." Shirou explained. "My father always said that I choose the best room in the house. It's never to hot or to cold." He grinned.

"Than that means that the room next to yours should be just as good." Bedivere cupped his chin and nodded.

"Well, I guess." Shirou was starting to feel his mistake.

"Than I will take that room. Is that alright with you, Shirou? Shirou? Is something wrong?" Arturia was surprised at the sight of Shirou's rather uncomfortable looking face.

"No, nothing. It's just..." Shirou began, but Merlin cut him short.

"It's just that our friend here feels uncomfortable with the prospect of having such a beauty sleeping in such close proximity." Merlin chuckled.

"It can't be helped. I'm a guy after all. But fine, I don't mind." Shirou agreed with some reluctance.

"I can chose a different room if it troubles you that much Shirou. But I... Why are you all looking like that?" Bedivere and Kay were following the conversation curiously. Gawain looked more annoyed and Merlin just chuckled. Arturia tilted her head and looked at them with a questioning expression.

"Nothing my king. We were just uh... how to say it?" He looked at Kay for help.

"We were just wondering as to how the argument would end." Kay said with a dead serious tone. "Anyway. I take it you just gave us your consent on the king using that room, Shirou?" Kay lifted an eyebrow and gave him an imperceptible look.

"Uhm...well...Yeah, it's fine. Do as you wish." Shirou conceded.

"Ah...Thank you, Shirou." Arturia smiled for a moment.

"Now that is settled. I will take the room nearest to the outbuilding." He cast a somewhat annoyed glare at Merlin. "Shouldn't you change into something less conspicuous, Merlin?"

"Very well." Merlin made some gestures and fog started whirling around him. When the fog dissipated, his clothes had changed. He now wore a fancy suit like the Kay and Bedivere, but only with brighter colors. The vest was a slightly darker shade of sky-blue vest and a light blue shirt underneath, paired with a black pants. It was finished with a red tie. He had also changed the shape of his ears, which now looked normal. "I take it this is acceptable?" Merlin smiled brightly. Kay nodded silently.

The doorbell rang. "I'm back." Tohsaka had returned. They went to the front door to greet her. "Oh, you've already changed. You certainly won't draw much attention now. Here. It should be about the right size." Tohsaka handed Arturia a bag.

"Thank you, Tohsaka. I will go and change." Arturia took the bag and went to her room. Tohsaka turned towards the others.

"You really won't consider staying at my place?" A while ago Tohsaka had tried to convince them to stay at her place. Her argument was that she could aid them better in finding Mordred and that her house was better protected and equipped.

"I'm sorry, milady Tohsaka. We will be staying here. King's decision." Tohsaka looked at Kay with some disappointment and sighed.

"Very well. Have you already created your cover story? Seeing as you will be staying here for a while, it would be good to have a credible story on your hands." She rest her fists in her hips.

"I was thinking about that, but I haven't come up with a convincing story just yet." Kay crossed his arms.

"You know, we could say that you are acquaintances of my father." Shirou motioned.

"Of your father?" Gawain looked at him doubtfully. "Are you certain that will work?"

"I am certain. My father traveled a lot, so it wouldn't be strange for him having friends abroad."

"That could work. You should tell us a little about your father though. So that we won't betray ourselves with inconsistencies and such." Kay nodded.

"There is one thing I would like to say too." Bedivere raised his hand. "There is something that we have possibly overlooked, albeit I believe that it's nothing major."

"Please share it with us." Kay urged.

"Yes. It's our identities." Bedivere cupped his chin. "If we introduce ourselves using our own names, wouldn't that come over as strange? I mean, we know that we are well known through the legend of our king. So introducing us with our true names could lead to bouts of confusion. I think"

"That could be a slight issue." Tohsaka remarked. "But you could simply try to pass it as a coincident."

"Should we decide to change our names then I vote we call Bedivere by his nickname, sir Bedi." Merlin snickered. Bedivere gave Merlin an indignant glare.

"What is this about changing our names?" They turned around to see Arturia. She wore a white shirt with a blue ribbon around her collar, black thigh-highs and a blue skirt. It really suited her.

"We were discussing if it would be necessary to change our names in order to avoid suspicion or confusion." Bedivere explained. "Milady Tohsaka suggests that we could pass it on as a coincidence. What are your thoughts about the matter, my king?"

"I think it would be no problem using our real names. While it can be odd to those around us, it certainly wouldn't cause any insurmountable problems." She reasoned. "Kay, Merlin. Do you have anything to say about it?"

"None, my king. It was good that Bedivere brought that up. But as you pointed out, I do concur that it shouldn't pose any big problems." Kay paced around.

"And if it should, then I will simply use my magic." Merlin put the tips of his fingers together and gave a nod.

"Seems that issue is solved." Tohsaka deirected her attention back to Shirou. "Shirou. Sakura-san and Fujimura-sensai have been here in your absence. I used some magic to make them believe that you have been sick. So adjust your story accordingly."

"I'll remember that." Shirou said in appreciation. "Have a good night. Hmm? Since when do you call me by my name?"

"Does it bother you? I'll be careful not to if you dislike it, but don't you like it?" She says plainly. Shirou made a difficult face.

"Whatever. Call me whatever you like." He says heavily.

"I'll do that then. Now, good night everybody." Tohsaka waved as she left.

"Say, Tohsaka...Do you mind if I call you that?" Tohsaka nodded as Merlin walked up to her. "I was meaning to ask you this, but it was you who made the boundary field around the portal?"

"Ah, yes. I use them to keep the portals hidden. What about it?"

"I must say. It's very skillfully made. You certainly are very talented." Tohsaka looked at him with a bit of confusion.

"Wait. Who are … Uh? Are you Merlin?" Merlin gave a nod. Tohsaka was surprised there for a moment, but she quickly calmed down. "I see. You had changed your appearance. I take it this is your real form?"

"Yes it is."

"He does that sometimes to pull pranks on others." Kay explained with annoyance. "Though this time he did maintained his disguise for a long time."

"Hmmm. I thought there was something of about him." Tohsake eyed Merlin with some suspicion now. "Thank you though for the complement."

"You're welcome. Say, what would you think about some private tutoring? I would be happy to help you." Merlin laid his arm around Tohsaka and drew her in closer.

"Merlin! Behave yourself!" Arturia commanded. Merlin gave a sheepish smile. Suddenly Tohsaka removed Merlin's arm from her shoulder and looked at Merlin. She smiled at him with her eyes closed. It was obvious that she was angry. She pulled up her right sleeve and ...she punched Merlin square in the face. Merlin fell on the ground, grasping his face.

"That punch wasn't necessary." He complained.

"You asked for that." Arturia stated calmly. Bedivere and Gawain were smirking, but Kay was really bursting his sides.

"Milady Tohsaka, you are my hero." He grabbed her right hand and before she could react, he kissed it. A blush appeared on her face and she quickly retracted her hand.

"Uhhm. Thank you, I guess." She said bashfully. She regained her posture the next moment. "I'll be going home now. It's very late." She started for the door.

"I'll see you out." Shirou followed her.

"We need to find Mordred fast and send them back to their own time." Tohsaka put on her shoes.

"That would be for the best." Shirou agreed.

"I'll have to inform that fake priest before I go to sleep." She sighed from exasperation.

"Fake priest?" Shirou looked a little confused. What does she mean by fake priest?

"He is my guardian. While he works for the church, he also has been trained as a Magus. I really dislike him. Before I go, let me advise you to keep an eye on Merlin. I am aware that Matou-san spends quite some time here, so.."

"I understand. I'll make sure to do that. Good night." He said dead serious with a firm nod.

"Good night. See you later." And she left. Shirou scratched his head and returned to the others. When he returned, Merlin was rubbing his face. The others were still chuckling at the recent event.

"How are you doing Merlin?" Shirou spoke with a accusing tone.

"Fine. I'll think I won't be trying my luck with her again. She is too feisty for my tastes." He said with a sullen expression.

"Seems so. Hahaha. I like her." Kay clasped his hands together. "You did ask for it." The others nodded in agreement.

"Before we move on. There is something I would like you to promise me, Merlin." Shirou spoke resolutely.

"Hmm? What is it you want me to promise?" Merlin looked surprised at Shirou's seriousness.

"When Sakura arrives tomorrow, I want you to refrain from trying something like that with her. Sakura is rather shy and I don't want you to trouble her." Merlin looked at Shirou for a moment unblinkingly.

"I mean it. You would make her feel uncomfortable. Not only that, you will most certainly come into conflict with Fuji-nee. She is serious when it comes to her students."

Merlin's looked like that of a child who was just been prohibited to play with his favorite toy. He sighed. "Very well. I'll promise."

"Thank you, Merlin."

"Might I suggest that we use the remainder of the night to practice our cover-story?" Kay changed the subject.

"That would be the most prudent choice right now." Arturia agreed. "Shall we return to the living-room and discuss it?"

"I'll make some more Tea." Shirou started for the living-room with the others in tow.

"Might I say, my king. Those clothes look really good on you." Bedivire smiled at her. Arturia looked at him a bit surprised.

"Uhm...Thank you, Bedivere." She was somewhat surprised

Mordred was following Ayako to her home. Ayako had managed to convince her parents to allow for Mordred's stay. Mordred followed her silently. She looked around curiously. The streetlights, the cars, the paved road...that massive bridge they crossed. Everything was so alien to her. Her surprised looks had provoked some strange expressions from Ayako at times.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay at your place. I appreciate it." Mordred said softly.

"Your welcome. When I told my parents that you helped us with those hoodlums, they were willing to let you stay." Ayako looked at Mordred. "I told them about your uhh...issue in advance."

Mordred gave her a firm nod. "That would make it easier indeed."

"By the way. Your Japanese is really good. One would say that you were born here." Ayako eyed her with wonder. "Why is that, if I may ask?"

"Mordred lifted an eyebrow. "We had a guest from Japan staying over. And along with some help from my mother I learned it pretty fast. She...has her ways to teach you things very fast."

"She sounds quite remarkable. I wonder what kind of person she is." Ayako laughed.

"Trust me. It's better that you don't know." Mordred bit her lip. Ayako was slightly dumbstruck at Mordred's reply.

"Ahh, we're here." Ayako stopped in front of a house surrounded by a hedge. Ayako went first down the small path towards the front door. She took her key and opened the door. "I'm back."

She removed her shoes and looked at Mordred. "Please leave your boots in the genkan."

"Of course." She followed Ayako's example.

A boy appeared at the top of the stairs. His hair and eyes were the same color as Ayako's. Mordred believed him to be three years younger than Ayako. "Ah, Nee-chan. How was your day? Was the movie any good?"

"My day was good, Minori. I met the trio at the theater." Ayako waved her hand. "The movie wasn't that good, if you ask me."

"That's too bad. So this is the person who helped you out with those delinquents?" He quickly averted his eyes when their gazes met. "Thank you for helping my sister." He said bashfully.

"Your welcome." The next moment their parents appeared from the living room. It was clear to Mordred that Ayako and Minori had inherited most of their traits from their father, although Ayako resembled her mother more.

"Ah, Ayako. Welcome home. And this Mordred-san? I am Mitsuzuri Ayumi. Pleased to

meet you." Her mother greeted her.

"And my name is Mitsuzuri Takumi. Welcome." He gave her a welcoming smile.

"Well met. I am Mordred." She said with a slight bow.

"Oh my. I must say, you're really gorgeous." Ayumi said impressed as she covered her mouth.

"Uhm, thanks." Mordred reacted a little uncharacteristically bashful.

"We have already placed an extra futon in your chamber. Why don't you show her to your room?" His father pointed behind his back. "We will be having diner shortly."

"I'll do that." Ayako turned to Mordred and crossed her arms. "This way, Mordred."

They passed Minori as he descended the stairs. He averted his gaze again when Mordred looked at him.

"Don't mind him too much. He's a bit shy." Ayako explained when they arrived in the hall.

"That is obvious." Mordred grinned. "Thanks again for letting me stay."

"You're welcome. Here is my room." They stopped at the southern most room. When they entered, Mordred was surprised at the interior. She hadn't expected Ayako's room to be so...girly. Mordred got the impression that this was the room for a little girl. The wall's were colored bright blue. There was a shelve with stuffed animals on the right wall and a desk decorated with all sorts of cute things. There was also a TV in the corner right of the window, with some kind of strange box underneath it. In the middle of the room lay two futons spread out.

Ayako noticed Mordred's surprise. "I know what you think, but I like it. The left futon is yours by the way. You can put your stuff in the corner over there."

"Sure." Mordred put her bags in th corner. Her armor rattled when she put it down. Mordred looked a bit more around and saw something standing against the wall next to the closet. "Say, is that a trainings spear?"

"Spear? Well yeah. It is called a Naginata, actually. It is weapon that has long been used by women in Japan. The lighter version that is."

"So you are student of the art of war?" Mordred took the weapon and tried a few swings.

"Beauty must do martial arts. Although I do it more as a means of self defense than war. My family has a long history" Ayako smiled. "That reminds me. It is obvious to me that you are into martial yourself. What do you do? Boxing, Judo, …?"

"I practice the sword." Mordred stated proudly. "And I can say proudly that no man can best me in a fight." She stuck out her chest and placed her fists in her sides, with a haughty expression on her face. Ayako smiled a bit nervously. Her eye fell on the long bundle which Mordred had been carrying.

"Is that your sword then?" Ayako pointed at it, to which Mordred nodded. "It looks rather large."

"It is. But that is no issue for me." She grinned.

"Hmm. Do you have another set of clothes? Because those are a bit conspicuous." Ayako remarked. Mordred examined her clothes with some doubt. She shook her head. "I see. I could lend you some of my clothes, if that is OK with you. Some of my older ones should fit you."

"Yes. That would be useful." Ayako smiled and went to her closet. After a bit of searching she found some clothes that would fit Mordred. She got a brown shirt and a black jeans.

Ayako had watched silently as Mordred changed. She really was beautiful. "You know. I am quite surprised. When I look at you, I simply cannot understand how you could exercise such strength."

"You mean tossing those thugs around?" Ayako gave a nod. "That's nothing much. Such a thing is an easy feat for me." She chuckled at seeing Ayako's amazed expression.

"Diner is ready." Ayumi called from the stairs.

"Dinner time. Let's not keep them waiting." Ayako said. She and Mordred descended down the stairs to the living-room. Her mother had made a delicious Japanese meal. Ayako and Mordred sat down next to each other. Ayumi and Minori sat themselves on the opposite side and Takumi sat at the head of the table.

"Itadakimasu." They said in unison. Mordred followed their example.

"So, Mordred-san. Where do you come from?" Ayumi asked, looking at Mordred as she distributed rice.

"Britannia." Mordred said as she took some fried mackerel.

"England, is it. What made you decide to come here? Here is your rice."

"Thank you. In short, I am looking for something. And seeing a little from the world when I am at it. Oh my. This is delicious." Mordred savored the taste.

"What are you looking for?" Asked Minori.

"That is something that I will keep to myself, if you don't mind." Mordred said with a serious glare. _As if I can tell them that I search for the Holy Grail._

"Don't you have school to attend to?" This time it was Takumi who asked the question.

"Mordred received home-schooling from her mother." Ayako explained.

"Really? Why was that? If I may ask."

"She found it more convenient that way, I guess." Mordred said softly. "We lived rather isolated from society.'

"I see. What do your parents do exactly?"

Mordred sighed. How was she going to explain that one. "My mother, she was...ehhh, let's say, involved with odd jobs. Things normal people wouldn't readily do."

"That sounds a bit eccentric." Takumi lifted his eyebrows.

"You wouldn't believe it even if you saw it." Mordred sighed. _I doubt anyone from this time would._

"And what about your father?" Ayumi cast her a curious glance. Mordred's expression darkened a bit.

"You could say he is nobility." Mordred said with some scorn mixed in her voice. _Yeah. Can't get any better than being king._

"Oh, my. Is it really? Weren't your parents opposed to you traveling all the way here?"

"My mother wasn't. My father wanted to stop me." Mordred didn't like the way this conversation was going.

"I take it your parents have their share of differences." Takumi observed.

"My mother raised me by herself. Father and I didn't even know we were father and son, until my mother revealed it to me."

"It sounds like your mother really hates your father." Ayumi said rather socked.

"She could drink his blood." Mordred said plainly.

"What did you do when your mother told you who your father was. I take it you approached him about the matter." Minori asked as inquisitively. "Uhhh, forget that I asked." Everybody became tense when they saw Mordred's tense and angry expression. Her gaze seemed to look at something distant. It wasn't directed at them.

"Please, for give us for being so intrusive. We shall not speak of it again." Takumi apologized. Mordred's expression softened a bit and she sighed.

"You couldn't have known. I should have put a stop to this topic sooner." Mordred took a big piece of beef and munched it down.

"So, how was your day, Minori?" Ayumi changed the subject.

A short while later they finished their meal. Ayako and Mordred went back to Ayako's room. It was already past eight o'clock. Ayako turned on the TV.

"Is there anything you want do do tonight? We could watch some TV. There are a few good movies on tonight." Ayako looked at Mordred.

"I don't really care. But what is that thing underneath the TV?" Mordred stared at the box underneath the TV.

"What? That? Have you never seen a game console?" Ayako was again surprised by Mordred's apparent obliviousness. Mordred shook her head. The thought about how ignorant she seemed to people from this time annoyed her. Ayako's lips curled into a smile. "Wanna try it out?"

"Yes. Let's." Mordred's expression saying 'what are we waiting for'. The next couple of hours they played video games. Mordred was amazed by these games. There was a game where you maneuver a character through a world seemingly made from platforms. Ayako called it a platform game. But the game she liked most was one which was called a first person shooter. Ayako in turn was impressed by how fast Mordred learned how to play them. And by how fast she reacted and moved. They had a pretty good time.

When they went to sleep, Ayako lend Mordred one of her pajamas. Ayako was already in her futon. Mordred examined her light blue pajama for a moment and crawled in her own.

"Not having a change of clothing is pretty inconvenient." Ayako turned on her side, her head resting on her hand. "Why don't we go shopping for some new ones for you? What do you think. I also know a place where you can trade in those valuables of you."

"That would be very useful. Thanks Ayako." Mordred crossed her arms under her head and looked at Ayako. "You have been very helpful."

"That's agreed then. Good night, Mordred." Mordred nodded silently in response and went to sleep. Ayako looked for a moment at Mordred's sleeping face. It looked so peaceful, so innocent. One wouldn't suspect her rebellious personality. She sighed and made herself comfortable and went to sleep.

Ayako awoke in the middle of the night. Mordred had been moving restless in her sleep. Ayako could see her troubled face. Then Mordred spoke in her sleep and Ayako realized that she was crying.


	18. Chapter 17

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 17: Adjustment, Part 1

The next morning. After washing himself, Shirou went to prepare breakfast. Seeing as how quiet it was, he was definitely the first to wake up.

"Let's see what we have." He put on his apron and opened the fridge. "Looks like we have just enough for everybody. If I take into account what Sakura will bring, we can make a decent meal." Shirou started his preparations when Kay entered.

"Good morning Shirou. Have you had a good night's sleep." Kay had to suppress a yawn. They had been up fairly late in order to get their lines right.

"Fine. I've just began preparing for breakfast. When Sakura arrives I shall begin in earnest." Shirou said as he started cutting the vegetables. "How was your first night sleeping in a futon?"

"It was different, but not bad." Kay said content as he sat himself at the table. "Do you mind if I try out that TV thing?" He eyed the TV eagerly.

"Sure. The remote is on the table. The red button in the upper right corner is for turning it on or off. Just point it at the TV and press it. The numbers are for changing the channels." Kay grabbed the remote and pressed the 'on' button. The screen flickered to life.

"Seems the news has already begun."Shirou remarked.

"The news? So, they spread the word of the newest events, I take it?" Kay deducted, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes. The most important pieces at least." Kay nodded and started following the news attentively. Apparently there was a severe train accident in the north of the country yesterday.

A few minutes later Arturia, Gawain and Bedivere arrived. They sat themselves down at the table.

"Good morning, everybody. Did you have a pleasant sleep, my k... uhh dear sister." Kay flushed a little, since it felt a bit weird addressing Arturia as sister after all this time. Addressing Arturia as king would cause confusion amongst others, so they decided to drop it for the duration of their stay here.

"I did. It was a different compared to sleeping in a bed as well as from sleeping on the bare ground." Arturia reflected. "I see that you have already discovered how to use this ...uh...TV, was it?"

"Yes. Apparently this is called the news. It lets you know about the latest events, both in the country as abroad. Remarkable." Kay explained exited.

"It sure is." Bedivere looked at the TV for a while, before turning his attention to Shirou. "I see that you are already preparing breakfast, Shirou."

"Yes, but I will not start just yet. I am waiting for Sakura to arrive." Shirou put a pot of water on the fire. "She'll have additional ingredients with her." Suddenly the bell rang.

"I'm coming in." A voice sounded from the hallway.

"There she is." Shirou asserted as he put down some vegetables

"We finally get to know the girl which you speak so highly of." Gawain clasped his hands together. "Time to demonstrate a knight's courtesy."

Shirou walked to the door when it opened. There stood Sakura with a bright smile on her face, carrying a grocery bag. "Ah, good morning senpai. Are you feeling better today?" Her expression changed to wonder. "Do you have guests, senpai?"

Shirou motioned to Gawain. "Let me introduce you, Sakura. This is Gawain."

Gawain stood up and bowed courteously. "A pleasure to meet you, milady Sakura." Sakura tensed up a bit, blushing.

"This is Bedivere and Kay." Bedivere and Kay responded just like Gawain with a polite bow.

"We are honored to make your acquaintance." Kay said. Bedivere simply nodded.

"Uhm, Yeah. It's a pleasure to meet you too." She said bashfully. Then her eyes fell on Arturia. She stared at her silently.

"And this is Arturia." Shirou finished.

"I am happy to meet you in person, Sakura Matou. I hope we can get along." Arturia said with a prideful yet polite tone. Sakura kept staring at her for a while.

"Uhm...ah...yes. Pleased to meet you too." She turned to Shirou with an uncertain expression. "Are they acquaintances of yours, senpai?"

"Uhm...They are acquaintances of my father. They have come to visit and will be staying here for a while. I hope you can get along with them." Shirou took the bag of groceries from her. "I'll be preparing breakfast, so you can go get to know them better, okay?" Shirou palm-fist tapped. "Oh, there is one more person. He'll probably arrive a little later."

"Uhh...If you say so, senpai." She sat down looked at every one of them, until her gaze rested on Arturia. She stared at her with uncertainty. Something that didn't escape Kay's, Bedivere's and Gawain's notice. Arturia merely tilted her head in wonder. "So uhm... You are senpai's guests?"

"Indeed we are, milady Sakura." Kay said calmly. "And as Shirou has already told you, we will be staying here for a while."

"Ah, I see." She looked at them with curious eyes, tilting her head. "Kay-san, Bedivere-san, Gawain-san and Arturia-san. It sounds like the knights of the round table." She smiled faintly.

"Hahaha. I know what you think, milady." Bedivere gave her a calming smile. "It is however a complete coincidence. We too found it strange when we learned each others names."

"I can imagine. Ahh, you don't have to call me milady. You can just call me Sakura." She said smiling. "Pleased to meet you all."

"The pleasure is all ours." Arturia responded with great dignity. The door opened again and Merlin entered.

"Ah, good morning everybody." He said with a childish smile. His eye fell on Sakura. "Ohh. Is this Sakura Matou? She is a real beauty." Merlin turned rather flamboyant. Sakura gasped and moved a step back, blushing from Merlin's praise. "Oh dear. I am sorry for startling you. It wasn't my intention." Merlin sat himself down next to Arturia.

"Behave yourself, Merlin." Kay urged him. Merlin lifted his hands and smiled sheepishly.

"Hmm. The table is getting a little cramped." Gawain remarked. "I don't think there is enough space for everybody." Shirou looked at everybody sitting around the table and frowned a bit.

"You're right. This is a problem." He started to ponder. "Ah, I know. There are is small table stored in the shed. I'm certain that we could use it to extend the table."

"That would be handy indeed. I will go and get it." Sakura stood up.

"Allow me to assist you." Gawain offered gallantly. "A lady shouldn't lift heavy material."

"Uh, if that is what you want." Sakura said timidly. Gawain nodded. "Thank you then. Please follow me." Gawain followed Sakura to the shed.

"She is a kind person." Bedivere crossed his arms and looked in the direction they had left. "And beautiful too."

"She sure is. She strikes me as rather bashful, though." Kay rested on his elbows and looked meaningful at Merlin. "I say again, behave yourself, Merlin."

Merlin pouted. "You're such a spoilsport, Kay."

Shirou started serving the food by the time when Sakura and Gawain returned. Gawain carried the table inside and put it next to the dining table. "Now we have enough room for everybody." Gawain said with satisfaction.

"We sure do. Thanks for your help, Gawain-san." Sakura said with a smile before walking to the kitchen.

"It was only the natural thing to do." Gawain sat himself down next to Bedivere. "Seems like the food is ready."

"Yes. Please wait a moment until everything is ready." Shirou said. "Would you help setting the table, Sakura?"

"Of course." Sakura opened the cupboards and started setting the rest of the table. "Fujimura-sensei is rather late today."

"You're right." Shirou looked at the clock. It was almost seven A.M. "We can expect her to arrive any minute though. She isn't one to miss out on breakfast. The words had barely left Shirou's mouth for the door flew open and a spirited Taiga burst in.

"Good morning! Ah, Shirou. All better I see." She made a twirl and sat down at the table. "Good thing too. I'm really hungry." Shirou merely smiled.

"Good morning, Fujimura-sensei." Sakura greeted her.

Taiga waved at her. "How are you, Sakura-chan? Helping out as always." Arturia and the others looked at Taiga silently. Taiga looked at Arturia and the rest with an imperceptible expression. "Say, Shirou. There are a bunch of strangers present."

_Now she noticed._ Shirou sighed. "They are father's acquaintances. They showed up last night and will be staying here for a while."

"Ah, I see. That..." She smiled for a moment. Then she suddenly jumped up, roaring. "THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE!" Arturia and the others backed away a bit with stunned expressions. "What do you mean, they will be staying here? Since when are you running a hotel!?"

Shirou's ears were ringing, and even Sakura had backed away. "Like I said, they are father's acquaintances. They are here on an extended vacation. Father said that if they were in the neighborhood, he would welcome them anytime."

"There is no way that Kiritsugu-san..." She stopped for a moment, making an onerous expression. "I can't really say that. Can I? Considering how much he traveled." She looked again at Arturia and the others. "Why did you guys come here?"

"We are here to conduct some business and at the same time enjoy an extended leave." Kay explained with a serious tone. "Emiya Kiritsugu said that we could stay here, should we ever come to Japan. I'll immediately add that there is no need to worry about expenses. We will pay for our own living expenses while we remain here."

"That's really thoughtful of you, uhh... What is your name?"

"You may call me Kay. And this is my foster-sister Arturia." He motioned to his step-sister.

"Pleased to meet you, Fujimura Taiga." She said with a pure tone. "I hope will be getting along."

"Ah, uh...yes. Pleased to meet you too." She said softly. Her gaze fell on Bedivere, Gawain and Merlin. "And you are?"

"I am Gawain. Well met." He said courteously.

"My name is Bedivere. I must say, I have never met such a lively women before. I am looking forward to knowing you better." He put his right hand on his heart and gave her a smile. Taiga looked at him incredulously, before looking at Merlin.

"Merlin is the name. Happy to meet you." He smiled flirtatiously.

"Bedivere, Kay, Gawain, Merlin and Arturia? I have to ask, is this a joke?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "This sounds like the knights of the round table."

"I know what you think, milady Taiga. However we can assure you that this is merely a coincidence." Gawain explained convincingly.

"That's some coincidence then." She pondered, but she still looked at them with disdain.

"Anyway, why don't we talk about over breakfast?" Shirou put the last of the food on the table.

"That's a good idea, Shirou." Her eyes sparkled in anticipation as she looked at the food.

"Itadakimasu." They all said in unison.

"Oh, this is really good. Japanese food is quite different." Arturia said with satisfaction.

"Indeed it is, sis." Kay agreed as he tried some mackerel with soy sauce. "What do you say, Gawain?"

"I readily agree, Kay." Gawain took a sip of sake. "Shirou?"

"Yes Gawain?" Shirou looked at him. "Another bowl of rice?" He looked at Gawain's empty bowl.

"Later. I wanted to ask you if I can see your training hall after breakfast." Gawain put down his cup. "Regular training is important."

"Ohhh!. Do you practice martial arts as well?" Taiga jumped in.

"Yes. I follow the way of the sword." Gawain declared proudly. "We all do in fact. Except for Merlin."

"I heard from Shirou that he and Kiritsugu also attempted to practicing the way of the sword." Bedivere added.

"They sure did." Taiga smiled with a look of longing. "Back then I would practice a lot with Shirou too."

"Can I have another bowl of rice, Sakura?" Arturia asked.

"Ah, sure." Sakura refilled her bowl. "You sure eat a lot, Aruria-san. This is your third bowl already."

"It's really tasty." Arturia declared, before looking back at Taiga. "You practice the sword too, Taiga?"

"Yes. I am known as the Tiger of Fuyuki when I was the star of the kendo club." She said proudly. "I won't acknowledge you if you can't beat me."

"Oh, is that a challenge?" Gawain asked interested.

"Fujimura-sensei, you shouldn't challenge people just like that." Sakura said timidly.

"No. As Shirou's guardian I can't let them stay here if I don't know if he is safe with them." Taiga stood up and pointed at them.

"So, you are challenging them out of concern for Shirou?" Merlin asked laughing to which Taiga gave him a scolding glare. "What do you say, Arturia?"

"Hmm. If Taiga insist, I will face her." She confidently stood up.

"Alright. Let's do this!" Taiga raised her fist, striking a challenging pose. Shirou sighed in exasperation. A few moments later they were gathered in the dojo. Shirou, Sakura, Bedivere and Kay sat in traditional Japanese style at the edge. Gawain stood alongside Merlin in the corner. Arturia and Taiga were facing each other in the middle of the dojo.

"I must say. This dojo has a tranquil feeling to it." Bedivere observed. "Like a place to reflect upon oneself."

"I know what you mean, Bediver. I like it too." He examined Taiga as she prepared to face Arturia. "What do you think of, Fujimura Taiga?"

"I think she is a very honest person. Can't say I dislike her. She should work on her cool headiness though." Was Bedivere's assessment. Kay gave a slight nod in agreement.

"Are you ready, Arturia-san?" Taiga asked firmly, clenching her shinai. Arturia nodded and readied her own shinai. The next moment Taiga attacked. She made a feint and tried to strike her torso. Arturia merely side-stepped her and Taiga ended up missing her. "This isn't over yet! uhhh? WHAAAA!?" When she turned around to attack again, she noticed that Arturia now held two shinai while she was no longer holding hers.

"That was good form you have there, Fujimura Taiga. But you should recognize the difference in our power now." Arturia stated calmly. Taiga started crying. Everybody was surprised by this reaction.

"Alright, I'll acknowledge you." She cried. A little while later they were back in the dining room. "Arturia and the others had managed to convince her to let them stay here.

"So, Arturia. What is your relation with Senpai again?" Sakura asked somewhat guarded. "You seem to be on rather good terms with him." Kay and Bedivere were exchanging meaningful glances over their tea. Shirou was busy doing the dishes while Gawain and Merlin were striking a conversation with Taiga.

"We know each other through Kiritsugu. We have met before and I deem him a dear friend." Arturia said casually. "What about you, Sakura? According to Shirou, you two became acquainted a little more than a year ago."

"Yes. When senpai injured his shoulder I offered to help him. Since then I have kept visiting him and help him around the house." Sakura smiled timidly, but puffed her chest in pride.

"That is very kind of you. I..." Arturia cut off her sentence when she hear Merlin groan in pain. When everybody turned to the hall, they saw Taiga guiding Merlin in, holding him in a firm arm bar. Gawain was almost bursting his sides. Arturia sighed and both Kay and Bedivere started to snicker.

"Hey, Shirou. You better keep an eye on this one. Or else he could be arrested for sexual harassment." She glared at Merlin. "By the way, Shirou. What did you do to have those flowers grow in the yard in this time of the year?"

"More importantly, Fuji-nee, don't you have club activities today?" Shirou reminded her.

"Ah that's right. I completely forgot with all this!" She tensed up and let Merlin loose, who promptly fell on the ground. She noticed that it was nine o'clock already. "Sakura-chan, we have to go if still want to participate."

"Ahh...yes, Fujimura-sensei." Sakura hurriedly stood up and followed Taiga. "See you later, senpai, everybody."

"Yes. Have a good day, Sakura." Shirou replied.

"Until later." Arturia said.

"I'm looking forward to our next meeting." Kay said. Bedivere smiled and gave a silent nod.

"See you later." Gawain helped Merlin on his feet, still smirking.

"Yeah...later." Merlin muttered. The next moment Taiga and Sakura had left.

"Seems your luck with women is at an all time low here." Kay grinned.

"Yeah...laugh it up, Kay." Merlin straightened himself out.

"I rather like them. You can tell that Taiga is a kind and honest person." Arturia's expression became a bit disturbed. "Sakura is also very kind, but she somehow seems on guard when she talks to me. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, sis. More like she is unsure about what to make of you." Kay smiled meaningful.

"What do you mean?" Arturia tilted her head questioning.

"Sakura has always been rather shy. As her friend I can tell you that much." Shirou declared. Merlin started to snicker.

"Let me guess. You only see her as a dear friend." Merlin laughed. Shirou nodded in response. "Oh my. You are rather thickheaded Shirou." Shirou's expression changed to confusion. Kay and Bedivere nodded firmly in agreement. Gawain was shaking his head. Arturia was just as confused as Shirou.

"Uhrm...Whatever." Shirou shrugged his shoulders. "Why don't we go into town? We still have to buy some new clothes for you guys. And while we are at it, we can find a place to sell those gems and show you around town."

"A solid plan, Shirou." Bedivere clasped his hands together. "When shall we leave?"

"When I have finished the dishes. I am almost done. You can finish your tea in the meanwhile." Shirou suddenly stopped and turned around and. "What was that about flowers?" He walked to the porch and looked outside. "What is with those flowers?" He marveled at the trail of lush flowers that led from the dojo to the main building. It looked as if they followed someone's footsteps.

"That is Merlin's doing." Arturia appeared next to him. "He is also known as the Magus of Flowers. Wherever he walks, flowers will grow."

"How could this be the first time I notice this?" Shirou scratched his head.

"Not so surprising. You spend most of your time inside the castle. And in the courtyard the flowers become trampled in the mud very fast." Arturia said casually. "Those would probably be the main reasons."

"I guess." Shirou shrugged his shoulders and returned to the kitchen. Merlin cleared his voice as Shirou walked through the dining room.

"Say, Shirou." Shirou turned around as he was about to enter the kitchen and looked at Merlin who was frowning a bit in wonder. "What is sexual harassment?"

Mordred was walking alongside Ayako, carrying the package that contained Clarent over her shoulder. This morning she had enjoyed a delicious breakfast, made by Ayumi. Afterwards Ayako had showed her a store where she could sell her valuables. She hadn't sold everything right of the bat. The necklace she sold had been worth 400k yen. Ayako was stumped by the amount. Now that Mordred had some money, it was time to buy some new clothes. So Ayako was taking her to a place called the Verde. From what Mordred summarized from her explanation it was some sort of market.

Mordred's eyes went wide when she saw Verde. It was truly unlike any market she had ever seen. It was completely covered, had moving stairs and shops which sold items she had never seen before.

"You should stop gawking, Mordred-san. People will start to stare at you." Ayako chuckled. Mordred's face flushed a little. "There are some good clothing shops around. Let's see what we can find for you. They tried a couple of different shops, but Mordred hadn't seen anything yet that suited her tastes. After a few hours they took a break. Ayako decided to treat Mordred to some crepes.

"Hmm, this is great. What did you call these again?" Mordred relished in the taste.

"These are called crepes. Looks like you enjoy it." Ayako cleaned her mouth and stood up. "Shall we continue looking for some clothes? Mordred?" Mordred was staring at a shop in the distance.

"I think I just saw what I want." Mordred declared. A short while later they left the shop. Mordred was now wearing a white tube top which exposed her abdomen, short pants jeans with a leather belt. Next to that she had also purchased a red leather jacket and heavy brown shoes, along with some other clothes for variety. "This I like." She smiled. Ayako looked at her with uncertainty.

"If that is what you like. But I must say, it is a bit provocative." She covered her mouth as she examined Mordred. "Considering your issue, I find it a bit strange that you are willing to flaunt your body like that. You really are a rebellious character."

"You bet I am!" Mordred boasted. "Now, would you mind showing me more of the city?"

"I thought you might ask that." The next few hours they spend exploring the city. Mordred was still impressed by the skyscrapers. And the bridge was also something to behold. So she was stunned when Ayako told her about bridges that spanned even the sea.

"That is incredible. I would like to see that." Mordred whistled. "Could you show me the school? I am curious to know what a school is like."

Ayako looked at Mordred for a moment. "Hmm, normally outsiders aren't allowed on the school grounds. But I guess I can give you a tour if you stay by my side."

"As you wish. Lead on." Mordred said eagerly. When they arrived at the school gate they ran into Ryuudou Issei.

"Ah, Good day Mitsuzuri-san. I thought you were busy at the archery range." Then Issei's gaze fell on Mordred. "Who is your companion?" He eyed Mordred suspiciously.

"Let me introduce you to Mordred-san." Ayako patted her on the shoulder. "She is staying at my place for a short while."

"Hmmm, I see. May I inquire what kind of relationship you have with her?" He narrowed his eyes and casted a questionable glance at Mordred.

"Last evening, she helped me and the trio out of a pickle. She drove off some hooligans who were harassing us." She explained.

"That is admirable." Issei's expression softened a bit. "I should thank you for helping out a fellow student. Thank you very much Mordred-san."

"It was only the natural thing to do. Those with power are obliged to protect those without." She declared haughty, striking a powerful pose. Issei and Ayako stared at her silently.

"That is a very noble thought. You do seem very capable, despite your small stature." Issei continued. "But I must say that I can't approve of your attire. A girl shouldn..."

"Issei!" Ayako interrupted.

"Hey. It's rude to interrupt people. You surprise me Mitsuzuri-san." Issei frowned. He then noticed the angry scowl on Mordred's face. Ayako stepped up to him and whispered in his ear.

"Mordred-san is rather touchy about being called a girl. So, please don't call her that." Issei pondered quietly for a moment.

"I understand. I apologize Mordred-san." Issei bowed slightly.

Mordred's scowl disappeared. "It's alright. It sure is troublesome to let everybody know."

"I can imagine. By the way, do you have a last name?"

Mordred tilted her head with a troubled expression. She hesitated for a moment before she answered. "It's...Pendragon. Mordred Pendragon." She said hesitantly.

"Pendragon? Like from the Legend of King Arthur?" Issei looked surprised. "Rather unusual, I would say."

"Yeah, I know what you think. But it is the truth." Mordred grumbled.

"Guess these things do happen. I believe you want to show her around the school, Mitsuzuri-san?" Issei turned his attention back to Ayako.

"That is the plan." Ayako confirmed.

"Very well. Make sure to accompany her at all times. Now if you will excuse me, I have something to discus with Kuzuki-sensei. Katsu!" Issei made a praying motion and left.

"What a stiff." Mordred complained. "But he is a good guy."

"Yeah, I know he can be formal at times. He is our diligent student-council president after all." Ayako laughed. "Shall we begin our tour, then?" Mordred nodded firmly.

"Let's start with the schoolyard." Ayako led on, Mordred in tow. "Here students gather during recess and this is where sport clubs practice during extracurricular activities. To name a few we have the tennis club, the track-and-field club. The track-and-field is currently busy as you can see over there." She pointed towards them. Mordred observed how boys and girls where engaged in sprinting, high jumping and trowing javelins. "By the way, Yukika, Kane and Kaede are part of that club."

Mordred had already spotted them. Kaede was busy driving some younger students on, harshly. Yelling a bunch of commands. Kaede just performed a high jump. Mordred reckoned it to be over two meters. Yukika was handing out water, smiling brightly.

"Why don't we go and say hi?" Ayako proposed. Mordred looked at her unblinkingly and grinned.

"Sure." The trio was busy with their training, so they didn't witness them approaching at first.

"Sheesh! What are you guys!? Snails!?" Kaede yelled. Then she noticed Ayako and Mordred approach. "Take five you guys." The younger students sighed from relieve and went to find a place to sit down as Kaede went to the two other girls. "Yukichi, Kane! Look who's here."

"Mitsuzuri-san, Mordred-san. How are you doing?" Yukika walked over to them, with a heartwarming smile.

"Oh. You are giving Mordred-san a tour of the school?" Kane deduced quickly. "Does that mean she is planning to enroll here?"

"I don't know about that Kane-san, but yes. I'm giving her a tour of the school." Ayako nodded to Kane's statement.

"I see that you are training new recruits. I love your style. You know how to motivate them." Mordred complimented Kaede.

"Thank you, Mo-san." Kaede grinned. Mordred frowned slightly.

"It's Mordred." She sniffed. "What role do you play in this uh...club?"

"Maki-chan is our club president and our ace mid-distance sprinter." Yukika explained. "Would you like some water, Mordred-san?"

"Thank you, Yukika...uh-san." Mordred took a gulp from the bottle Yukika had handed her. "So. How are you guys in competition?"

"I would say we are fairly decent. We have won a couple of competitions." Kane crossed her arms and smiled a little. "Most of them were for the high jump and mid-distance sprint."

"Indeed, we did. You are talking about the black panther of Homura here!" Kaede boasted loudly. Mordred looked at her silently, with a little confusion as she leaned one her sword.

"So you're the best in this group?" Mordred lifted an eyebrow.

"Indeed, I am. Wanna try for your self. I'll pay you back for calling me a dimwit." Kaede grinned menacingly.

Mordred smiled. "Fine. Let's do this." Ayako, Yukika and Kane looked at each other with uncertain expressions. A short while later Mordred and Kaede stood ready at the starting line. Kane, Yukika who was holding Mordred's sword, along with everybody else from the track-and-field club stood lined up, watching the event with anticipation. Ayako had volunteered to give the starting signal. Kaede stood ready in the starting position, commonly used for sprinting. Mordred simply stood relaxed next to her. She could hear the other members whispering.

"Who's that girl? She's really hot." One boy whispered.

"She's really beautiful, but those clothes are rather provocative." Some girl whispered.

"Do you think she is available?"

"I never knew that there could be girls so pretty. I'm losing my confidence as a woman." Mordred casted an angry glare at them and the whispering soon stopped. She directed her attention back to track.

"Hey, you better get in position or I'll leave you behind." Kaede said to her with some slight annoyance.

"No need to. You should just focus on running or I'll leave you behind." Mordred said with utmost confidence.

Ayako raised her hand. "Ready!" Kaede raised her rear in preparation for the signal. Mordred simply leaned a bit forward on her right leg. "Set! Start!" Ayako's hand went down and Kaede launched like a rocket.

Mordred lifted an eyebrow. _She sure is fast. _Kaede had already traversed a sixth of the distance, but that didn't bothered Mordred one bit. Everybody was staring at Mordred with confusion. Just when Kaede had passed half of the distance Mordred moved. She practically flew forward like a cannonball. Everybody was completely stunned by the speed at which she moved. Just when Kaede past a quarter of the distance Mordred sped past her and crossed the finish not half a second later. Kaede was so dumbfounded that she skidded to a halt. "WHAAAAA...!?"

Mordred turned around and raised her chin challenging. "How is that?" She grinned. Kaede merely stood there dumbfounded as Mordred walked passed her back to the others. "That's how you do it." She said when she had joined the others. She looked at Kaede. "Do you want to challenge me in high jumping as well?"

Kaede looked a bit tense and responded calmly. "No, I don't believe that will be necessary."

"Ahh...that was amazing, Mordred-san. Here is your package." Yukika returned Mordred's sword. "May I ask what is in that package? It feels rather heavy."

"That's my sword." Mordred stated matter-of-factly. "Thanks for holding on to it." Yukika tilted her head in confusion. She turned to Ayako who was looking at her silently. "That was fun Ayako. Shall we continue the tour?"

Ayako snapped out of her pondering. "Ahh, yes. That would be best." She smiled nervously as she looked at a grumpy, sulking Kaede. "Kane-san, Yukika-san. It's been fun, but we'll be going now. And I guess you have other matters to attend." She cast a glance at Kaede. "I'll see you later then."

"Ahh...yes. See you later, Mitsuzuri-san." Kaede smiled. "You too, Mordred-san. That was really amazing."

"See you again." Kane said before turning her attention to Kaede and she tried to calm her down. Mordred and Ayako left the track-and-field club behind which was finally started to recover from the surprise. Ayako lead Mordred to the school building. Mordred examined it as they approached.

"If you don't mind, I will show you the building first before I show you the Archery club?" Ayako asked. "I like the archery club most, and I have the feeling that you would like it too, so I decided to keep it for last."

"No problem." Mordred said plainly. Ayako first led her to the visitors lounge, where she told her that outdoor shoes were forbidden inside the building. After putting on some slippers they went to explore the building. Ayako also told her about some of the rules. Mordred showed to be rather curious about the building, since she never went to school. Well, basically nobody in her time attended classes in this sort of fashion, if at all.

"This is quite interesting, but I am not sure if this is something for me. The rules are a bit too stiff for my taste." Mordred said after they left the biology lab. "Shall we now go to this Archery club?"

"Sure, let's go get our shoes." When they passed by the faculty office, the doors opened revealing a middle aged man, clad in a dark suit and wearing a strict expression. His black hair and sharp eyes gave him a very serious appearance. "Kuzuki-sensei. How are you?"

"I am fine, Mitsuzuri-san." His eyes met Mordred who stared back. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to place him. "Who is this, may I ask?"

"She's called Mordred. An acquaintance of mine. I am showing her around the school." Ayako explained. "Mordred-san, this is Kuzuki-sensei. He's our ethics-teacher. Kuzuki-sensei, meet Mordred-san."

"Mordred stepped forward extending her hand. "Well met, Kuzuki-ehh...san." Kuzuki looked at her hand for a moment before returning the handshake.

"You should know that there is a clear distinction in hierarchy in our country. A younger person doesn't greet an elder person in such a fashion. You should keep this in mind." Kuzuki informed her. "Incidentally, I would like to ask you, are you planning to enroll in our school? You would be the first foreigner to do so."

"I will be staying in this town for a while. But I don't know if I will enroll. But maybe..." Mordred stated honestly.

"I see. Mitsuzuri-san, look out for your friend. She'll undoubtedly attract much attention."

"I will, Kuzuki-sensei. Have a nice day." Kuzuki nodded and left. Mordred looked after him with intrigue. "Is there something wrong Mordred-san?"

"I just noticed that there is no wasted movement in his gait, nor in his breathing." Mordred said, causing Ayako to look at her with surprise. "It's nothing. Now, shall we finally go to the Archery club?"

"Ah, sure. Let's go." Ayako smiled.

"And Ayako."

"Yes?"

"Just Mordred is fine." Ayako nodded with a smile. When they finally arrived at the Archery dojo, they were met by Matou Shinji at the entrance. As usual he was surrounded by a bunch of girls. When he saw Ayako and Mordred approach, he met them with a cocky smile.

"Yoh, Mitsuzuri-san. You still decided to show up? It's not like you." His air of arrogance bugged Mordred, who scowled at the sight of him. "And who is your friend? She is quite the beauty."

"This is Mordred. And I will warn you now, she doesn't like being called a girl." Ayako said with utmost seriousness. "She ended up staying at our house last night and now I am showing her around town."

"Is that so?" He looked meaningful at Mordred. The girls behind him whispered to each other with excitement, casting glances at Mordred which annoyed her greatly. Shinji suddenly walked up to her. "Mordred-san, was it? I must say, you look gorgeous. Would you like me to show you around town?" He wanted to wrap his arm around her shoulder, but stopped when their eyes met. Shinji grew pale when he saw the killing glare in her eyes and quickly withdrew.

"Wise choice. It seems you do have a sound head on your shoulders. If you try that again, there will be hell to pay." She growled. "Types like you are always all bark and no bite. Now beat it."

Shinji regained a little of his composure. "Very well. Your loss. Shall we go girls?" He said with feigned courage. The girls walked over to him and they left.

"Whoa! You really made him sweat. That sure has put a damper on his mood." Ayako said impressed.

"Tssst. I can't stand those kind of sweet talkers." Mordred replied.

"This is going to be troublesome later on." Ayako sighed. "When he gets rejected like that he will usually take it out on somebody else later on." She explained when she saw Mordred's questioning look.

"I would be happy to straighten him out." Mordred grinned.

"No need for that." Ayako said hurriedly. A moment later they were standing in the archery dojo. It was clear to Mordred that Shirou had learned it here. Seeing as everybody was using the same shooting technique Shirou had used.

"What do you think?" Ayako said pridefully.

"There are some good ones, but you should straighten out some of those slackers." She pointed to a brown haired women who was sitting against the wall.

"Who are you calling a slacker?" The woman replied indignant.

"Fujimura-sensei!" Ayako recognized her.

"Ah, Mitsuzuri-san." Taiga stood up and walked up to them. "Where have you been? It's not like you to be absent."

"Sorry, sensei. I had an unexpected guest. Let me introduce you to Mordred-san." She motioned to Mordred, who nodded firmly in response. Taiga looked silently at her with surprise and curiosity.

"Mitsuzuri-san, you have decided to come." A purple haired girl joined them, but she fell silent when she saw Mordred.

"Yo, Sakura. This is Mordred. She's staying with me for a while. Is there something wrong, you two?" She asked when she saw them staring at Mordred, who was getting a little agitated from their stares.

"Is there something wrong? If not, I would like you two to stop staring at me like that." She complained.

"Fujimura-sensei."

"I know Sakura-san." Fujimura-sensei squinted her eyes. "Excuse me Mordred-san, but do you have a twin sister, per chance?"

Mordred's eyes narrowed and emitted a hostile aura for a second. "No. I know who you are talking about and while we are related, as surprisingly as this may sound we are not twins." She said softly.

"Wait? There is somebody else who looks like her?" Ayako asked in surprise.

"Yes, and she has others with her. They are a bit odd, though." Said Sakura a bit tensely. "Her name is Arturia and the others are called Gawain, Bedivere, Kay and Merlin."

Ayako lifted her eyebrows. "This sounds like the knights of the round table."

"I know, right?" Fujimura put her hands on her hips. "They showed up last night at Shirou's home. They say that they are acquaintances of Kiritsugu-san, but still..." Mordred was becoming a little nervous from this conversation.

"And Arturia-san looks just like Mordred-san. But she is not as uhhh...wild, if you don't mind me saying it. She's more elegant." Sakura eyed Mordred nervously. "But Mordred-san is just as beautiful as Arturia-san."

"Can we talk about something else, please?" Mordred tried to change the topic.

"Before we do that, Mordred-san...do you practice the sword as well?" Taiga asked tensely.

Mordred tapped on her bundle. "Yes, I do. Why?"

"You see, Fujimura-sensei challenged Arturia-san to a fight last evening and lost." Sakura explained quickly.

"She lost!?" Ayako shouted, causing others to turn their heads. Taiga's expression became more depressed.

"Yes. Fujimura-sensei was unable to do anything against her." Sakura said sadly.

"If that is true, I recommend that you don't challenge me. For I am the one who surpasses her." Mordred declared haughty but dignified. Taiga became nervous from that boastful statement and Sakura fell silent.

"Okay. Time to talk about something else." Did you know that Mordred saved me and the trio from a bunch of hooligans." Ayako regaled. Taiga's expression calmed and she became more serious, as well as interested.

A short while later Ayako and Mordred left the school grounds. It was already three o'clock. After Ayako told Taiga and Sakura about the events from yesterday evening, they became more accepting of Mordred. Mordred's and Taiga found themselves on good terms with each other, although Taiga felt that Mordred was a bit too prideful.

"Shall we walk a little more through the city before we go back?" Ayako asked. Mordred lifted her shoulders, she didn't care either way. Suddenly a twelve-year old child walked up to them.

"Hey, Mitsuzuri-san." The brown haired kid greeted them.

"Oh, if it isn't Kouta-kun. Here to see your sister?" Ayako inquired. "Mordred, meet Kouta-kun. He's Yukika's younger brother."

"Pleased to meet you." She said.

"Good afternoon." He said somewhat bashful. "Is my sister still training, Mitsuzuri-san?"

"I think she is just about finished as I saw her heading for the changing room. Who is that, by the way?" She just noticed another child. He had a handsome face, red eyes and golden hair. When Mordred saw him, her instincts stirred. There was something strange about this boy. Every fiber of her body warned her to be careful around him.

"That is Gil. He showed up a while ago. We are already good friends. He is really amazing." Kouta said excited.

"Good day to you. I am Gil. May I ask who you are?" He asked politely with a bright smile, but he cast curious glares at Mordred.

"I am Mitsuzuri Ayako. Happy to meet you, Gil-kun." Ayako replied. She was already starting to like this boy.

"I am Mordred. Pleased to meet you." She sounded rather on guard.

"Mordred-san, he? Pleased to meet you, too. Anyway, I have to go now, Kouta." He said and gave Kouta a handshake. "I am sorry you two, but I have to go. We will meet again. And I hope you enjoy your stay, Mordred Pendragon. I'll have remember to say hey to Arturia when I run into her. Good bye." He waved as he left.

"Good bye, Gil." Kouta waved. Ayako waved too, but Mordred just stared after him intensly. That boy knew who she was. That kid with a golden aura,... who was he?

Later that day, in the Fuyuki Churge, a tall, brown haired priest was busy reading the bible. "You have returned, Archer. Did anything special happen?" He asked when he heard someone enter.

"Please, Kotomine. I would prefer it if you called me Gil instead." The golden haired boy responded.

"Sorry. Well then, did something happen today, Gil-kun?" Kotomine asked smirking.

"Yes. I just met Mordred. As in King Arthur's Mordred." Kotomine clapped his bible shut and turned around, but he seemed more excited than alarmed. "It would stand to reason that Arturia will also arrive, if she hasn't already. What are you going to do?"

"Hmm, I think I will let things as they are for now. I am interested to see how this will play out. The Association and the Church won't have to be informed just yet." He smiled wickedly.

Gil sighed. "I expected as much."


	19. Chapter 18

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 18: Adjustment, part 2

"So, the next thing would be to buy new clothes for you guys. But first we need to sell those gems." Shirou started to ponder. "The jewelry we could sell in a jewelry store or something like that, but selling those loose gems might be tricky."

"Don't worry, Shirou. I shall persuade them." Kay smiled with utmost confidence.

"Indeed he shall." Arturia said with a trusting gaze. "When Kay gets serious, he can persuades anybody."

"You did mention something like that." Shirou recalled. Suddenly the doorbell rang.

"It seems there is a visitor." Bedivere said over his tea. Shirou stood up and went to open the door.

They could hear him talking with someone. "Ah, Raiga-san. It's been a while since you visited. How are you?"

"I am fine, Shirou-kun. Would you mind if I come in?"

"No, of course not. I will tell you now that I'm having some guests. They are my father's acquaintances." Shirou guided Raiga to the kitchen.

"Kiritsugu-san? They must have been unaware of his passing."

"Yeah, they were rather sad to hear that he had passed." The door to the hall opened and Shirou and Raiga entered. Raiga was an elderly man, wearing traditional Japanese clothing with a tiger striped Haori Jacket. Although old, he was still going strong as hinted by his fluid and energetic motions.

"Ah, so you are Kiritsugu's acquaintances? My name is Fujimura Raiga. Pleased to meet you." His sharp eyes went over all of them.

They all stood up. "Good day, mister Raiga. My name is Kay and this is my younger sister, Arturia. We are pleased to make your acquaintance." Kay made a respectful bow.

"Indeed. Pleased to meet you." Arturia joined in. "We had only known Kiritsugu for a short time, but we are still saddened by his untimely death."

"Indeed, it was sad. He was a good friend to mine" Raiga smiled. He liked them already. He turned his attention to the others.

"I am Gawain. Well met, mister Raiga." Gawain said with a nod.

"And you may call me Bedivere." After hearing Gawain's name Raiga had began to narrow his eyes with confusion and a bit of suspicion. They all noticed this. "I know what you are thinking. And we can a sure you that is nothing more than a weird coincidence. We were rather surprised ourselves when we first met each other because of it." Bedivere explained.

"On that note, my name is Merlin. Greetings to you,Raiga-san." Finished Merlin. "I must say, your grand daughter is very lively."

Raiga scratched his chin, while letting it all sink in. "I believe you. You guys strike me as too noble for deception." He sat down at the table, but he casted a sharp gaze towards Merlin. The others returned to their seats as well. "I hope my granddaughter didn't cause much problems for you. She can be rather difficult to deal with."

"No, not at all. Taiga is a very honest and kind person. Such a thing is rare. She is also quite skillful with the sword." Arturia praised Taiga. Raiga looked at her and smiled.

"True enough." He laughed.

"I certainly like her. She knows how to deal with obnoxious people." Kay casted a satisfied glance at Merlin.

"Yeah, yeah. Rub it in." Merlin said indignant. Raiga's eyes went back and fort between the two.

Gawain leaned in to Raiga. "Merlin is quite the womanizer and Kay is always at odds with him." He explained whispering. Raiga gave an understanding nod.

"If I may ask, mister Raiga. It has come to my attention that you are the head of...what's it called again? A Yakuza family?" Bedivere suddenly asked.

"That's right. I know what you think, but mine is more peaceful then most others." He replied with a sharp gaze. "Don't worry, we don't deal in high criminal acts. Which is why other families tend to look down on us."

Bedivere nodded. "You have indeed an air of a criminal about you, but you have honor."

"Bedivere!" Arturia chided him. "Mind your manners."

"I am sorry, milord." Bedivere apologized. "I just wanted to know him better."

"It's quite alright. Besides, I get the feeling that you have been a little dishonest yourself." Everybody tensed up. "You people have a convincing story, but you don't get to be a Yakuza boss without the necessary skills. You don't need to explain what you are planning. I already know that you guys are too honorable to be criminals."

"You noticed." Shirou said nervous as he handed Raiga some tea. He should have seen this coming. Suddenly a thought came up. "That reminds me. Raiga-san, could you help us with something?"

"Sure. What is the problem?" Raiga took a sip of tea.

"The thing is, they have brought some gems and jewelry with them which they want to sell."

"I see. Jewelry is rather easy to sell, but gems are tricky." Raiga summarized. "But I think I can help you with that. Shirou, Give me a moment." He took out his cell phone.

"OK, Raiga-san." A short while later a couple of Raiga's subordinates arrived to check the value of the gems. They were quite surprised by the quality of the gems. The estimated value of the gems came at nine million Yen. Raiga immediately bought half of them, leaving them with 4.8 million Yen. After that they had some more tea.

"It was a pleasure to meet you all. Now if you would excuse me, I still have some business to attend to." Raiga said his good bye and left.

"I'll show you out." Said Shirou, which Raiga appreciated.

"Quite an unusual bunch, I would say. By the way, Shirou-kun. Is that girl nobility?" Raiga looked at Shirou sharply. "That Bedivere called her milord, or did I misheard that?"

"Uhm...well, yes. She is part of the nobility in her country." Shirou said nervously. _More than nobility, she is a king._

"Never knew that Kuritsugu-san had such friends." Raiga rubbed his chin. "Any way, I'll be going now. Oh, before I forget, I had asked for you to check my bike, but since you have guests, would you mind if I have it brought to you instead?"

"No, not at all. It would be very convenient. Thank you, Raiga-san." Raiga smiled and went out on the street where his subordinates were waiting with his limo.

"Goodbye, Shirou-kun." He got in the car and left. Shirou returned to the others.

"Fujimura Raiga seems like a good leader." Arturia acknowledged. "Wouldn't you say so, Kay?"

"Without hesitation. You can tell that he cares for his people." Kay agreed. "Even though he is technically a criminal."

"At any rate, we now have enough money to facilitate our stay here." Bedivere took a bundle of money and examined it. "Paper money. How curious. Now we can buy some new clothes."

"At the same time we can look for Mordred and his men." Gawain slapped his hand on the table.

"That would be the best course of action. But I don't think that they have arrived in the city. They probably have arrived on the cities outskirts." Merlin declared confidently. He was Clairvoyant after all. Everybody looked at him and nodded.

Arturia turned to Shirou. "Now then. Shall we go Shirou?"

Shirou nodded. "Yes, let's go."

Shirou guided Arturia and the others to Mount Miyama first. It wasn't as crowded as Shinto, so he thought it a good place to start. He noticed how excited the others were, even though they did their best to act normally. Many people stared at them, which was not surprising. They all carried an aura of gallantry and dignity. And there is also the fact that they all were downright beautiful and handsome.

"This city is huge." Bedivere remarked impressed. "And incredibly clean, despite the number of people living here." He glanced at the manholes on the street. "Sewers sure are useful."

"They sure are." Said Shirou. _If he gets this impressed from a city like Fuyuki, I can only imagine what it would be like if he saw Tokyo._ He stopped in front of a shop. Behind the window stood several dolls with mens clothing. "This store will do fine. I come to buy my own clothes here. They have a decent selection of clothes here." He looked at Kay nervously though. He easily towered a head above Gawain and Bedivere. He didn't worry much about Merlin, seeing as he can change his appearance on a whim.

Some time later and a few more shops later, they were done with choosing their new clothes. Gawain now wore a white suit with a blue shirt underneath. Bedivere had chosen for a black jeans and a gray-blue shirt. It was difficult, but luckily the store had clothes that would fit Kay. He had chosen for a black business suit. Aside from that they had bought some other clothes for variation. After that they went to buy some shoes which was quickly done.

"That was quite the collection of clothing and shoes." Bedivere shook his head in disbelief.

"Most certainly. Not even I have such a wide range of clothing in my wardrobe." Arturia said somewhat perplexed.

"I wonder what they have for women?" Merlin tapped his fingers together.

"Merlin!" Kay glared at him. Merlin made a sulking expression in response.

"What is our next stop, Shirou?" Gawain inquired. "We should go and look for Mordred as soon as possible."

"I know. Next up we'll explore the town a little." Shirou pointed at a shop up ahead. "Afterwards we'll drop by the convenience store. Stocking up on some food."

"Constantly dragging those bags around is rather cumbersome. You can store them in my bag, ….ehrrr suitcase." Merlin had put a spacial distortion spell on a suitcase he had found to make transporting things less conspicuous. "Don't worry. I am using suggestion magic. No-one will notice." Assured, they all put their bags in Merlin's suitcase.

A little while later they passed through the park. There were a lot of families spending their time here today. They observed the place with interest. A place such as a park is rather pointless in their time, since nature was always close. Then Shirou took them over the bridge toward Shinto. This is where they really got excited.

"So those are skyscrapers." Arturia said softly, looking at the buildings in awe as they crossed the bridge. "They are even taller than Camelot."

"Not to mention this bridge." Bedivere let his eyes trace the steal arches of the bridge. "Have you ever seen a bridge like this before? Look at how much steel they used. With this much steel we could make plate armor of our entire army and still have more to spare."

"That might be very well possible." Shirou grinned.

"It is not as surprising to me though." Even though he said that, Merlin still sounded impressed. "When you posses Clairvoyance there are very few things that surprise you. But still, it is not so powerful that I can see how civilization will change. I can only see the near future. Or rather, the course of life of people, and thus I plan accordingly. But leaving that aside, humanity would have reached this level of civilization eventually. So it is more a matter of assessing the potential of humanity than Clairvoyance." He quickly explained upon seeing the questioning faces of the others.

"Remarkable indeed. It really is a shame that the others aren't present." Gawain lamented.

"Indeed it is, but somebody had to remain behind to look after things." Arturia smiled sadly and looked at Shirou. "What is our next destination?"

"I was thinking of showing you the place where I work, Copenhagen." They nodded in approval.

"So this is Copenhagen?" Kay asked when they arrived at Copenhagen. Crossing his arms and cupping his chin he eyed the place carefully. "A liquor store."

"Correct. They have a large assortment of liquor and in the evening they turn into a pub. I usually help with tidying the place up and doing some heavy lifting." Shirou led them inside. The bell rang as they passed through the opening, but the pub seemed deserted. "Seems like Neko-san is in the back. I'll go and see if I can find her, you guys can look around a bit." Shirou disappeared through the door in the back.

"Seems that Shirou is on very good terms with this Neko-san, seeing as he went there so casually." Bedivere remarked. "I wonder what kind of person this Neko-san is?"

"I am curious too." Gawain said absentmindedly as he examined the wide variety of spirits. "Hmm, Bourbon, Whiskey, Porto... much to choose from indeed. What would you say if we bought some of these? I think it would be worth the money."

"We shall see Gawain." Kay replied. "We need to be mindful of how we spend our money as we don't know how long we will be staying here. I shall see if we can spare some money for it, time permitting." He let his eyes pass over the cabinets. _Maybe we can buy a bottle or two. Perhaps we can bring some to Camelot for the others._

"Thank you, Kay." Gawain smiled from expectation.

"It seems Shirou is about to return." Merlin said pointing to the door through which Shirou had disappeared. They could here the footsteps of two people approaching.

A moment later Shirou and a young women, around the same age as Taiga, entered. The women looked at the four of them. "Ah, so these are your guests, Shirou? They seem quite something. How are you? I am Neko, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Well met, Neko-san. I am Arturia and this is Merlin, my older brother Kay, Bedivere and Gawain." Arturia introduced them. Merlin waved with a smile, while Kay, Bedivere and Gawain bowed politely.

"A pleasure to meet you, milady Neko." Said Kay.

"Milady? I have never been called that before. Feels kinda weird." Neko laughed. "So what can I get ya?" She asked as she went behind the counter. "Normally we become a pub in the evening, but I am willing to make an exception since you are Shirou's friends."

"We gladdy accept your offer." Arturia responded with a smile. "Do you have any beer from Gaul?"

"Gaul?" Neko asked confused. Arturia realized her mistake.

"I mean from France or Germany." Arturia corrected herself. Shirou had told her that Gaul was called France nowadays, but it would always be Gaul to her.

"Ah, sure. I can recommend some Belgium beer we have managed to obtain. It's an abbey brewed beer called Westvleteren. It's really good, but a bit expensive." Arturia thought about it and then nodded. Neko turned to the others for their orders.

"Me and Kay will have some Bourbon." Bedivere put his hand on Kay's shoulder who nodded.

"I will have a glass of whiskey." Said Gawain as he sat himself down at the counter.

"And some red wine for me." Merlin finished.

"Coming right up." Neko replied and quickly fetched the ordered drinks. "So, Shirou told me that you will be staying at his place for a while." Kay's eyes were tracing Neko's body attentively when her back was turned. He averted his gaze when she turned to face them.

"That is correct we are here on an extended leave, although we also have some business to take care off." Kay affirmed and he took a swig of his Bourbon. " Hmm, not bad." He licked his lips.

"May I ask what kind of business?" Neko asked curiously, lifting her eyebrows. She looked at Kay for a long moment. A peculiar smile appeared on her face.

"It's private and rather delicate, so we would prefer that you don't." Gawain stated firmly.

"Okay." Neko lifted her shoulders and gave Shirou some Blond beer. "How are you liking Japan?"

"It's been really interesting so far. The culture is so different from ours." Merlin said smiling, before he rubbed his arm and grimaced slightly. "But I must say that the women here are rather feisty." Neko gave him a puzzled look.

"Don't think about it too much, milady Neko." Kay grinned. "Merlin is a real womanizer and subsequently got into an argument with Fujimura Taiga. Feel free to put him in his place should he try to hit on you." Kay gave Merlin a satisfied look to which Merlin responded with an indignant one.

"Fujimura?...I see." She let out an exasperated sigh. "I am always worried about how she influences Emiyan over here."

"Oh...you two are acquainted?" Bedivere asked.

"We are. We both went to Homurahara and are close friends." Neko explained. "I just wish she wasn't such a bad influence on my employee." She smacked Shirou on his shoulder.

"That is what you get when you deal with immature adults." Shirou sighed.

"Excuse me, milady Neko. May I ask were I can find the restroom?" Kay interrupted.

"Of course, it's over there in the corner." Neko pointed with her thumb. "And please...Neko-san is just fine."

"As you wish...Neko-san." Kay disappeared in the restroom.

"He strikes me as a serious individual." Neko stated calmly as she clasped her hands.

"He is. My brother takes his duties very seriously." Arturia replied proudly.

"Interested in Kay?" Merlin asked chuckling.

"Just curious if that is what you mean." She casted a dubious glare at the door of the restroom. "You said that he's your brother."

"My foster-brother, yes." Arturia leaned on the counter. "I am happy to say that I trust him like no other."

"How would you describe him?" Neko leaned in on her elbow.

"He is a serious individual who as a firm understanding of his own capabilities. His oratory skills are unmatched as is his ability to manage finances." Arturia spoke enthusiastically.

"And his personality?" Bedivere, Merlin and Gawain started exchanging meaningful glances. She was definitely interested in Kay. Shirou merely followed the conversation silently.

"An honest and reliable individual who is very loyal to his friends and family, and is always ready to give frank advise." Arturia praised him. She frowned. "If he has one fault, than it would be that he is a bit of a...ahum womanizer."

"You sure are fortunate to have such a reliable brother." Neko smiled, who didn't seem that bothered by it.

"Yes, very." Arturia replied with absolute conviction.

"Wasn't Merlin a womanizer too?" Neko remembered.

"Merlin is the kind who fools around with women, while Kay is one who chases their rumps." Gawain laughed.

"One should always have time for love." Merlin stated cheerfully. A moment later Kay returned from the restroom.

"Thank you for allowing me to use the restroom, Neko-san." He walked back to the counter. When he saw the expressions of Gawain, Bedivere and Merlin, his expression turned to confusion. "Hmm? Is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing." Said Merlin with a humorous grin. Gawain an Bedivere returned silently to there drinks. Arturia followed them with a puzzled expression as she tilted her head. Half an hour later they payed their bill and started to leave.

"Thank you for allowing us to drink here, even though it wasn't evening yet." Shirou said gratefully.

"It was nothing, Emiyan." Said Neko as she cleaned the glasses. Suddenly her expression turned to realization as she remembered something.. "Uhh, Arturia-san?"

Arturia looked at her. "Yes, Neko-san?"

"Do you have a twin-sister perchance?"

Arturia tilted her head in confusion. "No, why do you ask?" The others turned around equally confused. Except for Shirou and Merlin.

"Yesterday evening there was a girl her who looked just like you." Arturia was stunned at those words. "She wore some weird outfit and was dragging some heavy bags with her. A rather rebellious person who called herself Mordred." Now they were just shocked.

"Did you say Mordred?" Kay exclaimed. Neko nodded nervously at Kay's sudden outburst. "I apologize for the outburst. We came here looking for her."

"So, she is family?" Neko asked, leaning over the counter. "What relation do you guys have exactly, if she is not her twin?"

Arturia put her hand on Kay's chest who took a few steps back. She looked at Neko with a dead serious expression. "She is family, although she is not my twin as strange as this may sound. Could you tell me what she was doing here?"

"Of course. She came here with Mitsuzuri Ayako and three other girls. I believe they were called Yukika, Kane and Kaeda." Neko pondered. "Apparently she had saved them from some thugs."

"Really?" Asked Shirou. "So she saved Mitsuzuri-san and the trio, then." Neko nodded.

"Did she say where she was going? Where there others with her?" Asked Gawain urgently.

"Hmm, no. She was alone from what I could tell. Last thing I remember before they left was that Mitsuzuri-san had offered her to stay at her place for a while."

"Looks like we found her sooner then expected." Merlin smiled stupidly. "So how will we proceed?"

"Hey. Is that girl in any trouble?" Neko asked suddenly with suspicion.

"More like she is trouble, although I believe that she won't harm any innocents." Arturia replied firmly. "What is going on between us and Mordred is a private matter which I hope to resolve peacefully." Neko looked at Shirou, seemingly seeking some reassurance.

"Don't worry Neko-san. We'll resolve this peacefully." Neko looked at Shirou for a moment before nodding. She decided to let it go at that. A short while later they were on their way to the Verde.

"Do you know where this Mitsuzuri lives?" Arturia asked. Shirou shook his head as he has never been to her house before.

"Sorry. I will ask her when I see her." Shirou said with a guilty look. "But how are you going to bring her in?"

"Well, we can't use violence. Or rather we would like to avoid using it if possible." Kay pondered. "The best course of action would be to lure her to an isolated location and try to capture her there. Or we have to find a way to persuade her."

"That would be the best way." Arturia agreed. "Afterwards we have to find her followers. Something tells me that they are somewhere in the woods outside of the city."

"May I suggest that in the mean time, I will investigate this Holly Grail." Merlin rubbed his hands together. "If we find it, we could use it to trap them... and to be honest, I am rather curious about it's nature."

"Very well, Merlin. I'll leave it to you." Arturia gave her approval. "At any rate, it will take some time before we can capture them."

"Indeed. It is imperative that we seize the first opportunity we get." Gawain clapped his hands together.

"But in the meantime...we could still enjoy some time here." Bedivere smiled. The others could readily agree with that and nodded with a smile. Bringing Mordred and her men back to their time is paramount, but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy their time here. After all, what are the odds to get to see the future like this. Shirou took them past the Verde and the train station before going to Mount Miyama one more time to buy groceries before returning home.

"That Verde place was quite something." Bedivere shook his head.

"Yeah. The place is fairly new and the largest shopping center in the city." Shirou explained. "Why don't you guys sit down while I prepare dinner?"

"Say, Shirou. What was that building on top of the mountain?" Kay asked.

"Ah, that's Ryuudou Temple. It's owned by Issei's family." Shirou said as he started boiling the water.

"Issei...your friend, right?" Merlin said as he sat himself against the wall with staring at the ceiling with a spaced out look in his eyes.

"Yep, that's him."

"Can we visit it tomorrow?" Bedivere inquired as he heated some tea.

"We can. Tomorrow is Sunday, so I'm sure we can find the time." Shirou started to ponder. "But I'm not sure how to go about it from Monday on as it is a school day."

"On that note, could we visit it too?" Kay joined in. He casted an inconspicuous glance at Arturia. "I believe it would be rather interesting."

"The school is closed tomorrow. Perhaps Monday evening." Shirou replied. Suddenly they heard the front door open and a familiar voice sounded from the hallway. Fujimura and Sakura had returned.

"It's six o'clock already?" Kay looked at the clock. "These clocks sure are nifty. Wish we had one in our time." The next moment Fujimura and Sakura entered.

"We're back!" Fujimura said cheerfully as she walked to the fridge and took out a can of beer, before sitting down next to Gawain. "How did you guys find Fuyuki?"

"It seems like a real fine city. We enjoyed the tour." Kay affirmed and tapped with his hand on the table.

"Glad to hear that." Taiga looked suddenly at Arturia with a serious glare and leaned in to her. Arturia backed down a bit because of how sudden her attitude changed. "Say, Arturia-chan. Do you have a twin-sister?"

"I hope that you don't mind asking us. It's just that Mitsuzuri-senpai came to our school with a girl who looked just like you." Sakura explained as she put on her apron. She looked at Arturia curiously, fumbling her fingers.

Arturia shook her head firmly. "This may sound strange, but while she is related to me by blood, she is not my sister."

Taiga and Sakura looked at her incredulously. Kay stepped in. "She is part of the reason why we're here. We came here to bring her back home."

"Is she a run-away?" Sakura looked at them with wonder.

"She was definitely behaved rebellious." Taiga drank some more beer. "Family trouble?"

"You could say that, yes." Arturia confirmed. "It is a private matter and we don't want to involve anyone else. As such, we would like to ask you not to interfere with it." Arturia's tone indicated clearly that it wasn't up for discussion.

Tiaga looked at her for a moment and nodded. "I understand." She said seriously, before smiling. "She sure was something. I hear that she beat Makidera-san in a sprinting match."

"I am pretty sure she did." Sakura said a bit worryingly. "She was sulking pretty hard when I saw her. The others said that they never had seen anybody move that fast before."

Shirou and the others gave a nervous smile. As they were all knights who surpassed normal humans, such a feat was easy.

"But more importantly, Shirou. When will the food be ready?" Taiga asked loudly, her eyes shining hopeful.

"Have some patience, Tiger." Shirou retorted, slightly annoyed. He immediately realized his mistake.

"Whaa, Shirou! Don't call me that, you meeeeeanyyyy!" Taiga shouted with an expression like a scolded child. Sakura covered her mouth in an oh-ow fashion. Arturia and the others looked at Taiga with surprise as she jumped up and ran to the hallway. They all stared in confusion in the direction where she ran off to.

"Uhh, what just happened?" Merlin scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"Tiger is Fujimura-sensei's nickname." Sakura explained with an slightly exasperated expression. "Taiga and Tiger sound very similar in Japanese. She doesn't like being called that way."

"Odd." Bedivere murmured. "I don't think it's a reason to get upset about. Tigers are noble creatures after all."

"Sakura, will you watch the food? I'll go and get her back." Shirou sighed as he left the room.

"Sure, senpai." Sakura went into the kitchen.

"She sure is lively." Bedivere smirked as he took the tea-kettle and poured some tea.

"If I recall, you like lively women." Gawain smirked. As did Kay and Merlin.

"What do you think, Bedivere? Do you fancy her?" Merlin teased.

"Please, stop it." Bedivere said bashfully. Kay chuckled. Sakura looked at him rather shocked. Arturia merely tilted her head in wonder, lifting her eyebrows. A short while later Shirou returned with a calmed down Taiga and returned to the kitchen.

"I am sorry for that outburst." Taiga apologized.

"Do you hate tigers, Fujimura-san?" Merlin inquired with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"It's more of a love-hate relation actually." Taiga admitted as she grabbed her beer.

"I must say, I don't really understand why you get upset about it." Arturia moved next to Taiga. "If some one would call me lion, I would not mind."

Taiga turned to face Arturia. "Do you like lions?"

"I have a bond with them." Arturia admitted. "There was also a time where I briefly took care of a lion cub."

"You took care of a lion-cub?" Sakura asked from the kitchen. "But don't they grow really big?"

"I reckon." Taiga agreed. "Even as a cub they are as big as,if not bigger than, a cat. If they bite and scratch..."

"He sure did that." Kay rolled up his right sleeve and showed some scars from claw marks. "It surprised me that such a small cub could be so fierce." He casted an accusing look at Arturia.

"I'm sorry about that Kay. It was due to my negligence." Artuira smiled regretfully.

"Say, milady Taiga. Could we get a tour of the school someday?" Kay changed the topic.

"Hmmm, you want a tour of the school?"

"Yes, please. You see my sister has received only private tutoring during her life and I believe that it would be a good thing for her to experience it for a while."

"Eh, Kay. What is this about?" Arturia asked nervously. Sakura and Shirou peeked out of the kitchen when they heard Kay talking about it.

Beves was exploring the castle some more. It was after all, rather big. Beves had never been inside a castle before, except for the abandoned fortress. The sheer luxury that was present was mind boggling. "From what I have heard about Camelot, this place makes it sound like a poor house." He muttered to himself.

"Beves!" Beves turned around and saw Lewis run up to him. "The boss wants to see you in the entrance hall right away." Beves nodded and followed Lewis to the entrance hall. There he stood with Dunstan, Esdelot and one of Esdelot's servants.

"Ah, Beves. I want you to know that you will be one of the first to explore the city." Giraud said firmly.

"Me? But I don't know if... I will stand out. My clothes alone would..." Beves stammered.

"Quit your babbling, you idiot. I will take care of that." Esdelot spat. Beves looked at him tensely and angry.

"There is no need to be so contemptuous, Esdelot." Dunstan said calmly, before turning to Beves. "According to Giraud you are one of the most levelheaded persons here. That's why you, along with some others, will go with me to scout the city. Esdelot."

Esdelot motioned to his servant, who was carrying a plate with some necklaces. "These charms will make it seem like you are wearing clothing from this time." He grabbed one and threw it at Beves with a look of malcontent. Beves caught it deftly. "It will allow you to move about inconspicuously."

"Next to that, Esdelot will be tracking us with his familiars. They will also guide us back here, should we get lost." Giraud crossed his arms. "I will remain here and oversee the management of the rest of our men. I recommend that you get some rest and prepare yourself for tomorrow. We leave at first light."

"Yes, boss." Beves gave a clumsy salute and went to his room. When he arrived at his room he put the medallion on the table. He began gathering some equipment. A few throwing knives, a short sword and a drinking bag. "Into that City? It already looks so big from here. I hope I don't mess this up."

He sat down on the bed and looked at the corner. It was filled with stuffed animals resembling bears. He reckoned this must have been a child's room. But virtually all rooms looked like this one. Although Lewis teased him about it, saying that he was like a kid himself. Beves had merely chosen this room because the sun would wake him at first light. Well, what ever. He put aside his worries and prepared to go to sleep. It will be a busy day tomorrow.


	20. Chapter 19

**Themporary message: 14/01/2016: I have just posted a message on my forum to inform my dear readers about some of the plans for my story.**

**Please have a look: topic/177815/132462451/1/#145738941**

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 19: New discoveries

Arturia felt annoyed when she woke up the next morning. Kay mentioned yesterday that they were considering her to attend school. Where did that come from? When she tried to object, Kay explained that they were only considering the possibility, since they were unsure about how long they would remain here. What surprised her more was that Bedivere was supporting the idea. "What was that all about? We don't have time for such things." She complained.

After she was done dressing she went to the hallway. She noticed that Shirou wasn't in his room, as the door was open. When she looked outside, she could see Shirou wearing some kind of blue colored full-body suit. He was talking with someone at the gate leading to the street. Another man guided in some kind of machine. If she would describe it, it would be like a cross between those bicycles and cars. She remembered their conversation with Raiga. Is that the aforementioned motor?

"Good morning, my king." She was greeted by Gawain as she walked through the hall way.

"Good morning, Gawain." Arturia stopped to greet him. "I wanted to take a look at that bike they just brought in. It looks rather fascinating."

Gawain cast a glance through the window. "I know what you mean. When I look at it, I get the impression of a steel horse. I think I'll join you." They both went outside, just when the Raiga's men left and Shirou closed the gate.

"Good morning you two." Shirou greeted them as started to move the bike into the shed using a makeshift ramp. "Coming to see the bike, aren't you?"

"Arturia nodded smiling. "It looks really fascinating." She and Gawain followed him inside the shed. "Do you know where the others are?"

Shirou looked over his shoulder. "Yeah. Merlin is having tea with Kay while watching the news." He looked at his watch which he had bought yesterday. "Bedivere had awoken really early, around five in the morning. He said he went for an early morning stroll to Mount Miyama and back. He should be back before breakfast."

"Good to know." said Arturia. She and Gawain gathered around the bike. "Hmm, do you think it's possible for me to sit on it for a while?...Just to see how it feels of course." It was obvious how curious she was about it as she was fidgeting around a little. Something that surprised and also annoyed Gawain a little for some reason.

Shirou thought about it. "I guess if you just want to sit on it for a moment, there would be no problem." He looked at her clothes. "Be careful with that skirt, though."

Arturia looked at it. "Don't worry about it. I am a knight first and foremost. I don't mind such at thing." She stated stubbornly, making Shirou cringe a bit. She has no problem with others seeing her naked, so this should be no issue to her as well.

She stepped forward, grabbed the handles and swung her leg over the bike. Setting herself on the saddle. She moved around a bit to get a feel for it and nodded approvingly. "I like this. If I were to choose a mode of transportation in this time, this would be it."

"So does it feel good?" Gawain asked. She gave him a content look.

"Indeed. This has a similar feeling as a horse. How fast can this thing go actually?" Her eyes sparkled a bit when she asked.

"Well...eh. On a perfect road this thing can go five times faster than a sprinting horse. Around 150 miles an hour." Gawain's and Arturia's eyes widened in disbelief. "But that is only on roads like we have here. This bike was designed for it specifically, although there are bikes that are designed for off-road use too."

"Impressive indeed. I wonder how they could be used in battle" Gawain started to ponder. Arturia stepped off the bike.

"Do you think that mister Raiga would allow us to try it once?" Arturia asked hopeful.

This made Shirou doubt. "I don't now. This is his favorite after all. Uhm...but I could ask."

"Thank you very much in advance, Shirou." She said before she turned her gaze back to it.

"Oh, is that the bike?" They turned towards the door. There stood Bedivere looking at the bike curiously. "Looks really nice."

"Back from your morning walk, I see." Said Gawain. "Enjoyed it?"

"Very much. While this city is so large, it still feels a bit like the town near Camelot when it is early in the morning." Bedivere entered the shed. "I ran into lady Sakura during my walk. She was buying groceries, so I decided to help her carry it over here. She has already started preparing breakfast."

"Then I think it's best that I will go and help her." Shirou clasped his hands together. "Shall we go and eat?"

"Most certainly. I must say, while I do prefer Shirou's cooking, Sakura's is quite good too." Arturia licked her lips from anticipation. "Let's not keep the others waiting." She marched of to the kitchen.

Gawain and Bedivere looked at each other with unsure smiles. "Our king sure has developed quite the taste for food ever since we met Shirou, hasn't she." Bedivere remarked.

"I'm standing right here you know. Shees! You make it sound like I did something bad here." Shirou complained before he followed after her. Gawain and Bedivere followed suit.

"Good morning, senpai." Sakura greeted cheerfully. "Have you slept well?"

"Fair enough. I hear that you ran into Bedivere this morning."

"Yes. He was so kind to help me with carrying the groceries." She looked at Bedivere who sat down at the table with Gawain. "Thanks again, Bedivere-san."

"A proper man shouldn't let a lady carry such heavy weight." He said humbly.

"Now that you are both here, Kay, Bedivere." Kay and Bedivere looked at Arturia. "What was that all about yesterday? What was that about me going to school? You were rather determined to see me go, or did I misjudge that?" She gave an uncertain frown.

"We just thought that it would be a good experience for you, dear sister." Kay looked her straight in the eyes. "Since we don't know how long we are staying here, we believe it to be a good opportunity to experience new things, no matter how short it would be."

"Further more, going to school might grant you new insights on things." Bedivere added. "Personally I think it is a great idea."

Arturia turned to Merlin. "What do you think, Merlin?"

Merlin gave a big smile. "One should always have time to experience new things. At the very least it doesn't have any disadvantages. Of course if you don't want to, there is no point continuing this debate."

Arturia sank into thought. "Very well, I will consider it." She still sounded doubtful though.

They heard Taiga entering. The next moment she opened the door in her usual cheerfulness. "Good morning, everybody!" She promptly sat down at the table. "What do we have for breakfast?"

A short while later they were all enjoying breakfast. Then Taiga opened a topic which has been forgotten for a while now. "Shirou? How are you going to handle this during school days?" Shirou frowned a bit when she said that. "It won't be too bad to miss a day or two, but you need to consider what to do. Since they are your guests you can't just leave them unattended."

"I know Fuji-nee. We will discuss this issue today." He promised before eying his guests.

"That's right. Shirou still has his obligations as a student." Kay joined in. "The issue of leaving your guests alone in your home is not to be taken lightly."

"Correct. Do you have any suggestions regarding this?" Arturia asked.

"Well, I trust you guys, so I don't have any issues with giving you free rein of the place." Shirou declared. "But I would feel more comfortable after I have showed you around for a few days more. Besides you still have some business to take care off, so you guys would probably spend a lot of time exploring the city, right? "

"That would indeed be the case." Merlin agreed as he took some more nato.

"If the master of the house says that he has no troubles, then I guess the issue is already largely resolved." Gawain smirked as he took a sip of Sake. "What do you say, milady Taiga?"

"Again with the milady? Just Fujimura will do." She complained, but with an amused smile before becoming serious. "If Shirou trusts you then I have little more to add. Besides, you are Kiritsugu's friends." Suddenly the phone rang.

"Who could that be?" Shirou walked to the phone and answered it. "Hello, Emiya residence? Uhh... uhh...Tohsaka-san?" Everybody turned to Shirou with curiosity upon hearing that name. "Yes?...uh...Sure. Very well... I'll do that. See you later." And he hung up.

"Was that Tohsaka-senpai?" Sakura wondered. "What did she want?"

"Uhm... Ahh...nothing much. I had found something she had lost and returned it to her, so now she wishes to thank me." Shirou said quickly.

"That was milady Tohsaka?" Kay asked interested.

"Kay-san, you know her?" Taiga asked surprised.

"Yes, indeed. We ran into each other when we arrived here and had a pleasant conversation." He casted a glance at Merlin with a rather sadistic smile, but Merlin failed to notice it. "A strong willed person for certain."

"Sure is. She is the top student of her class, if not the school." Taiga smirked, clasping her hands together. "She is also very popular."

"Is that so? Beautiful, smart and talented. Reminds me of someone else." He glanced at Arturia.

"You said she wished to thank you, senpai?" Sakura sounded somewhat cautious.

"Eh...yes. She invited me over for some tea. I'll be going shortly after breakfast." He looked at Arturia and co with a meaningful look. "She said it was alright to bring my guests along as well. Will you come with us, Sakura? If not, I can at least walk you home. Your house is in the same direction."

"He...that won't be necessary, senpai. I am going out with Fujimura-sensei today." Sakura responded a bit uneasy. "We had planned for this day some time ago."

"That's right. Today is just us two girls." She looked at Arturia. "Would you like to join us next time, Arturia-chan? Or would you like to come with us now? That is, if Sakura-chan doesn't have any objections." Sakura looked at Arturia, who was looking at Taiga, expectingly.

Arturia thought for a moment before answering politely. "Thank you for the offer, but I will decline this time. You had already made arrangements with Sakura for today and I don't want to intrude. Besides there is something I wished to ask of Rin."

"I understand. So Sakura-chan, it seems it will be just us as planned." Taiga sounded a bit disappointed. She clearly wanted to get to know Arturia better during there day out, as did Sakura who had quietly returned to her meal.

Half an hour later, they were ready for departure. Taiga was trampling on the spot as she waited for Sakura. "Come on, Sakura-chan. Let's go."

"Coming, Fujimura-sensei." Sakura put on her shoes and exited the house. "See you later, senpai."

Shirou looked on as they left. "See you later, Sakura." Sakura responded with a smile, but she casted a peculiar glance at Arturia who was standing behind him, before she followed Taiga. Arturia tilted her curiously when she saw that. Kay and Merlin, who were standing next to her, smiled awkwardly from hopelessness.

The next moment Bedivere and Gawain joined them. "Shall we get going too?" Gawain asked, crossing his arms. "I am interested to hear what milady Tohsaka has to say."

"Yes, lets get going." Shirou agreed. Soon they were walking through the foreigner's district of Miyami Town.

"This style of architecture feels more familiar indeed. You can clearly tell that their design originates from our lands." Bedivere remarked. "But it looks a bit dreary in my opinion."

"I wonder what she will say when we arrive." Kay pondered. "No doubt she will try to have us leave as soon as possible." Now a grin appeared on his face, the kind that Shirou hadn't seen on his face before. "But I must say, she is quite the beauty. I would like to get to know her better."

These words took Shirou by surprise. "Are you thinking of seducing her?"

"Would you mind?" He asked rather indifferent. "Is it that odd to go after a beautiful woman?"

"No, but you didn't strike me as the type do such a thing." Shirou responded.

"Don't let it get to you." Bedivere interjected. "Just as Merlin is one to fool around with women, Sir Kay is one to chase after their rumps." Shirou looked at Kay nervously.

"I also very much like her personality." He grinned in a rather evil manner at Merlin, who merely shrugged his shoulders.

"You two really don't get along, do you?" Shirou's eyes dashed back and forth between the two.

Kay sighed. "You just don't know us that well. How could it be? We've only known each other for less then a month. And to answer your question, let me put it this way. Each time I recollect the troubles he and Arturia have dragged me into, I feel like cutting him up." He scowled. "But lets not talk about such unpleasant things." Kay shook his head. "That Taiga and Sakura are also quite beautiful." Shirou caught him muttering before he moved a bit further ahead of the group, causing him to frown. Arturia let out a heavy sigh. Gawain gave a disapproving look.

When they passed Sakura's house they were greeted by a familiar voice. "Yoh, Emiya!" It was Shinji. "Who are your friends?" He let his gaze go over them, until his eyes fell on Arturia.

"Good morning Shinji. Are you going out?" Shirou asked.

"Certainly. I have some girls eagerly waiting for me." He let his hand pass through his wavy hair with an arrogant grin playing on his lips. "But you still haven't answered my question though." Artoria and Bedivere looked at him silently. Gawain was sizing him up and Kay looked at him with suspicion. Merlin on the other hand seemed to be completely taken in by the Matou house.

"They are friends from my father. They will be staying here for an undetermined length of time." Shirou explained. Shinji lifted an eyebrow.

"My name is Kay and this is my younger sister Arturia." Kay declared rather irritated. Because something about Shinji rubbed him the wrong way the moment he saw him. Arturia was surprised at her brother's attitude, but gave a nod towards Shinji regardless.

"My name is Gawain. Well met."

"And you may call me Bedivere." Shinji looked at them sceptically.

"Huhhh? What is with those names? Are you supposed to be the knights of the round table or something?" He scoffed. This caused the others to frown at him.

"I know what you think, young man. We can assure you that it was merely a weird coincidence. " Bedivere said maintaining his composure.

Shinji lifted an eyebrow and turned his gaze towards Merlin, who was looking at the Matou residence with interest. "And who is that person. The one who is seemingly so interested in our house?" He pointed at Merlin. Gawain gave Merlin a nudge, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Ah, sorry. My name is Merlin. How do you do?" He smiled sheepishly. "I don't want to be rude, but don't we have somebody waiting for us?"

"Correct. I am sorry Shinji, but we have an appointment to attend to. See you later." Shirou said hurriedly and he guided the others onward.

Shinji frowned and watched as they continued. "Whatever." He shrugged his shoulders and left.

A couple of minutes later they arrived at Tohsaka's house. "Oh, this is what you call a proper Magus Workshop." Merlin declared when they arrived. "The Magus family that lives here is certainly skilled."

When he said that the front door opened and Tohsaka came out to greet them. "Good morning. Glad that to see that you arrived this early." She made a couple of gestures and spoke an incantation. A sound could be heard, similar like a wind chime. "Please come in. Wipe your feet before entering please."

They did as she told and entered. Upon entering, Arturia and the others examined the interior of the house. A look of recognition appeared on their faces. "Wh...why are you looking like that?" Tohsaka asked hesitantly.

"Sorry. Your house feels familiar." Arturia explained.

"How so?"

"It reminds us of the times when we explored ancient ruins. Haunted fortresses and such." She sank into her recollections.

"I know what you mean, my king. Dangerous places where monsters dwell and treasures are found." Gawain joined in.

Bedivere coughed. "Excuse me, my king, Gawain. I believe you are insulting our hostess." Arturia and Gawain looked at Tohsaka, who wore an expression of annoyance, indignancy and oddly so, acknowledgment."

She sighed heavily. "Might as well be haunted. Thanks to the defenses not even a cat enters our property." She shook her head. "Anyway, shall we go and discuss things? I have some tea prepared for us." She guided them to the living room.

Beves was standing on the bridge, marveling at his surroundings. The city already looked big from a distance, but up close and personal it looked even bigger. He had to do his best not act to excited, lest he wants to attract too much attention. He crossed the bridge towards the strange towers. As he neared he could see that they were seemingly made from glass. And the amount of people walking around was staggering. As he walked into the park he observed the families spending their time carefree. It ached him to see it, for it reminded him of the family he had lost when the king sacrificed his village. He gritted his teeth and moved on.

He arrived at what seemed to be an indoor market. It was unlike anything he had seen. There were stores which sold familiar items like clothes and food. But also stores that sold things which didn't make any sense to him. Like boxes which seemed to contain people, or boxes which produced music. Speaking of music where was that song playing from? Two girls passed him. A young, rather well endowed girl girl with violet hair and a young, excited woman with short brown hair, wearing a yellow striped blouse. The young girl was especially attractive.

They met up with another group of girls. Another brown haired, rather timid looking girl, a noisy dark haired girl, a calm collected girl, a mature looking girl and …

"King Arthur." He gritted his teeth. There stood King Arthur, or rather Arturia. She wore rather shameful clothes, which surprised him. On her back she carried a large leather bundle. Must be Excalibur. He quickly dived behind a nearby pillar.

"Is there something wrong, Mordred-san?" Yukika asked when Mordred looked over her shoulder.

Mordred answered with a neutral expression. "No, nothing really. So what is this place you wanted to show me, Mitsuzuri? I believe it was some sort of food establishment?"

"Ah, follow me. It's this way." Mitszuzuri lead the group onwards. They arrived at a fancy looking Tea shop. "This is it. They have some really good sweets and drinks here."

"Sweets? Is this what you wanted to show me?" Mordred complained a bit. "I don't know. I was never really a sweet tooth. Not that I dislike it."

"Lets go inside and have some." Kaede cheered.

Mordred looked over her shoulder once more. "You guys go in. I'll join you momentarily. I've seen something interesting." Mordred turned around started walking. "You can order some tea for me." The others stared after her while she walked of, before entering the shop.

Beves was hyperventilating. Had she seen him? He peeked around the pillar and saw the girls entering. "Where did the king go?"

"You should really be more careful, Beves." Someone chuckled behind him. That voice.

"Sir Mordr..." Beves fell silent when he turned around. He felt like his eyes would fall out of his sockets.

"How are you doing Beves?" She grinned. Beves merely stared at her dumbfounded, which annoyed her a bit. "Well, this is the first time you see me without armor. But still...would you please stop gawking like that!"

Beves closed his mouth. "Sir Mordred. Is that really you? You look just like the king and you're..."

Mordred cut him off there. "Don't call me girl. I hate that." She warned him with a low voice. "And yes, I do look EXACTLY like my father."

Beves regained his composure somewhat, but he couldn't help letting his eyes wander across Mordred's body. "So...uh...Where have you been all this time, Sir Mordred?"

"I helped some of those girls you saw there earlier and one of them allowed me to stay at her place." She motioned her head in the direction of the shop. "And what about you guys. Did all of you arrive safely?"

"Ay, we did. We arrived in the forest on the outskirts of the city. We found a deserted castle which we now use as our base." Beves averted his gaze, blushing hard. "Will you follow me there?"

Mordred frowned from annoyance. "Not yet. I'll stay here for a while longer to get to know the city better. I will join you there after a couple of days, so make sure to tell them that. And would you stop staring like that!"

Beves shot her an indignant look. "With all due respect, those clothes you are wearing are really provocative, Sir Mordred. So what would you expect, walking around like that?" Mordred grumbled, because she had no counter-argument for that. "Anyway Sir, if you are planning to stay here a while longer then I will give you this. I was given this as a precaution." He handed her a necklace with a rune stone. "This will guide you to the castle. Just say veilede and it will show you the way. And if you say samtale followed by the name of Giruad, Esdeloth or Dunstan you can talk with them."

"Thanks, Beves. That helps me a lot. Now off you go, before someone gets suspicious." She said with A satisfied grin. "Tell the others that they continue to increase the security and scout out the city, but don't cause any troubles. That's all for now."

Beves saluted. "I will. Until next time, Sir Mordred." And he left. Mordred turned around and went into the shop. The others were already enjoying their drinks.

"Over here, Mordred. Your tea is getting cold." Mitsuzuri waved. Mordred walked over and took a seat next to her. "What was it that interested you so, actually?"

"I saw someone I knew and went to say hi." Mordred took a sip of tea. "Hmm. Not bad."

"Glad you like it." Mordred turned to face Mitsuzuri. "You should try one of these. They are the main reason we're here." She showed her the menu. "I would recommend this parfait to you."

Mordred let her eyes wander over the menu. She normally didn't eat much sweets, but after seeing what was on the menu she could not stop her mouth from watering. The next few hours they spent enjoying their time in the shop, until Taiga suddenly began a rather serious topic.

"Excuse me, Mordred-san." Mordred looked at Taiga, who wore dead-serious expression on her face. "I know this is a sensitive subject for you, but I would like to discuss your uhm... family problems." Mordred's face became expressionless and everybody became quiet.

"I know it's not my place to interfere, but I heard some rather troublesome things from Arturia and her friends." Her mature way of speaking caught Mordred a bit by surprise. "I don't want to judge you, but as a teacher I would like to ascertain if this could cause problems for my students."

"I assure you that I won't involve your students in our problems. I consider myself a knight and will not stand for bystanders to be caught up in our struggles." Mordred's tone alone showed how serious she was. Taiga could sense her sincerity.

She smiled sadly. "Thank you. It seems your issues with your family run deep indeed." Mordred averted her gaze and gritted her teeth.

Mitsuzuri recalled the night Mordred spend with her. "Mordred, I know that you are not a bad person, so I would like to help you. If you don't mind."

Mordred looked at her with surprise, before it became downcast again. "I can't accept your offer, but thank you anyway. You can't help anyway, because you don't understand the situation."

"Having troubles with your family is never easy." It was Sakura who spoke. Her expression was really sad. "I have a had problems with mine, so I can understand it a bit." Everybody looked at her with surprise. Her face told them that she was dead serious about it though.

"You have problems at home?!" Kaede blurted out. "Does this have to do with that troublesome brother of yours? ...Shinji was it?"

"Maki-chan you shouldn't blurt out things like that. It's rude." Yukika reminded her.

"But that certainly was a surprise. I never thought that you would have problems with your family." Kane joined in.

Taiga agreed with that. "I know that Shinji is a handful, but still... They don't hurt you I hope" She said with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Ahh...no. It isn't anything that severe." Sakura assured them. "We had a difficult period at one point and our relations became really stressed. So please, don't make a fuss about it."

"I'm glad to hear that." Taiga responded.

_Even though I suffered for eleven years. _Sakura's expression returned to normal, but her emotions still swirled on the inside whenever she recalled those days. Everybody's attention returned to Mordred.

"At least your problems have been resolved. But I doubt that they would have been anything as mine." Mordred averted her gaze. "You people would never be able to understand what it feels like to be the dirtied child." She muttered with a low voice.

"What did you say?" Taiga hadn't heard it clearly, but she heard something like dirtied child.

"I...Sorry. I need some fresh air." Mordred stood up and left the shop in a hurry. In her hurry, she even forgot her sword. The others merely stared at her as she exited the shop.

"Do you think we were too forceful?" Yukika asked timidly.

"Could very well be." Kane looked at the leather bundle. "She even forgot her sword."

"Say, Mitsuzuri-san." Taiga addressed her. "I thought I hear her say something like 'dirtied child'. Do you know what she could have meant by that?"

Mitsuzuri gripped her tea-cup tightly and leaned towards Taiga. "I'm not sure if I should tell this, but Mordred talks in her sleep. She even cries. What I heard her say was: Father, why do you hate me so much?"

Taiga made a painful expression. "Looks like her problems run deep indeed."

"But I think that makes the issue she has clear, doesn't it Fujimura-sensei?" Kane joined in.

"Kane-san, You heard that?"

"I'm sorry sensei. My curiosity won out." Kane crossed her arms. "Dirtied child, her father hating her. From these things it would be safe to assume that she is born from infidelity."

"So, that would make Arturia her half-sister?" Sakura asked confused.

"Arturia?" Mitsuzuri looked at her surprised.

"Yes, she is a girl who looks identically like Mordred-san. She was a friend of Kiritsugu-san and is currently staying with her brother and some friends over at Shirou's place." Taiga explained. "Seriously. They could easily be twins."

"At Shirou's place? Did you tell them that she is staying at my place?" Mitsuzuri asked urgently.

"Sorry." Taiga said with a guilt smile. "Considering their issues that might not have been the best thing to do."

Mitsuzuri sighed. "I'm going to talk with her. Here." She handed some money over to Sakura. "Please return the change, Sakura-san."

"Yes. I will." Sakura responded with a serious face., to which Mitsuzuri nodded. Suddenly a loud bang resounded through the shop. They turned to see Kaede bending over to pick up Mordred's sword.

"Sorry." Kaede said sheepishly.

"Maki-chan, you shouldn't touch other peoples stuff like that." Yukika chided her.

"I was just curious to see what kind of sword it was." She responded as he lifted it up. "Wow! This thing is quite heavy." Mitsuzuri walked over to help her with it.

Mordred was sitting on a bench outside of Verde. "Damn it. I forgot my sword." She berated herself. Suddenly a man appeared beside her. He was tall with brown hair, wearing a cross on his collar. Obviously a priest, but her instincts warned her that she should be careful about him. "Who are you?" She asked cautiously.

"My name is Kotomine Kirei. Pleased to meet you, Mordred." He said softly.

"Mordred narrowed her eyes. "You are aware of my identity?"

"I am the Church's overseer. It's my task to monitor and report anything that has to do with the portals." Mordred clenched her fist. If that was true then this guy would beyond a doubt cause trouble for her. "But you don't need to worry. I have no intention of reporting that Mordred and King Arthur have arrived in this time." He said with a smile.

_He won't? Just what is he planning? _Mordred lifted an eyebrow. "Why? Do you want something in return?"

"No, I don't. But I know that you want to obtain the Grail." Mordred tensed up. Inside Kirei knew that he had her. "If you want to learn more about the Grail, come visit me at the Fuyuki Church when you wish." Kirei stood up and left just as suddenly as he appeared, leaving Mordred followed him with her eyes until he was out of sight. Someone laid her hand on her shoulder.

"Mordred. There you are." It was Mitsuzuri. "You forgot your sword." She handed her the bundle.

"Ah! Thank you." She said grateful. "This is the first time that this has happened to me."

"Shall go somewhere else?" She asked. "I know a place where could do some sport. Or do you want to go home and play some games?"

"Hmm. Let's walk a bit around town some more. We can do some of those sports you mentioned." Mordred decided.

"Very well." Mitsuzuri led on.

"By the way, Mitsuzuri." Mitsuzuri turned to face her. "Is there a church somewhere nearby?"

"So, the Holy Grail War will take place around the end of January." Kay repeated. The past few hours they had been talking about how they would deal with Mordred. During this time, Kay managed to extract some information from her regarding the Grail.

Tohsaka looked at him with irritation. He manage to trick her into spilling the beans so easily. "Yes. Are you guys planning on participating or something? I know King Arthur wanted to obtain the Grail." She looked at Arturia.

"We have no intention to linger here this long. However, should Mordred find a way to participate in the War, we could end up doing so." Arturia explained.

"I see. That's good to know." She took a sip of tea. When the first batch of tea ran out, Shirou ended up making more. They had been talking for several hours now after all. "You make some good tea, Shirou." She remarked.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind answering a question I was meaning to ask." Merlin changed the topic. Tohsaka gave a slight nod in response. "The house of that Shinji-fellow...that is a magus' workshop isn't it?"

"Wait...What did you say?" Shirou reacted with shock. "Sakura's family are magi?" His eyes darted between Tohsaka and Merlin.

"Calm down, Shirou." Tohsaka responded slightly exasperated at his outburst. "The Matou's are former Magi. Their line of Magi ended with the previous generation. Shinji and Sakura are normal people." That made Shirou feel relieved.

"Even so, I still felt the presence of a Magus inside the house, albeit very faint." Merlin continued.

"A Magus?" Tohsaka though about it and soon came up with a possible answer. "Could it be Zouken?"

"Who is this Zouken?" Gawain turned his attention away from the peculiar pendulum he was examining.

"He is the founder of the Matou lineage. I remember my father mentioning him once. And he is mentioned quite a lot in old journals of previous generations." She put her hand on her chin. "If I remember correctly, he has lived for 500 years by using certain methods."

"He is that old?" Bedivere asked in surprise. "I knew Magi could extend their liver through Magecraft, but still..." He shook his head. "I wonder what goal he has, for which he wants to extend his life so long."

"That is not our concern, Bedivere." Arturia reminded him, before looking at Tohsaka again. "So as agreed, you will talk with Ayako about Mordred first and try to have Mordred abandon her current location. Then it is only a matter of convincing her to return to our time."

"That is plan A, yes. Then we have to lure her somewhere isolated where we can corner her. The harbor or maybe the forest." Tohsaka nodded. "If that doesn't work we have to find another way to force Mordred out in the open."

"No plan survives contact with the enemy, indeed." Arturia stood up. "I believe there is nothing more to discuss for us, today. Shall we go and explore the city some more then, Shirou?"

"Uhm? Ah, sure. But just out of curiosity, why don't you just try and talk things out with her?" Shirou proposed. "To be honest, I don't think she has any harmful intentions."

"We thought about that too, but Mordred seemed very determined to obtain the Grail when we last encountered him... I mean her." Bedivere explained sadly. "I don't think she will be just dissuaded by mere talk." Everybody else nodded in agreement.

"I see." Shirou scratched his head and sighed from hopelessness. "Well, if that's the case, then we shall go with that plan." A short while later they left the Tohsaka mansion. They bid good day to her and left towards Shinto.

Later in the afternoon, Beves arrived at the castle. It seemed that Giraud and Dunstan were waiting for him at the entrance. "Finally, you have returned. You're the last one. How was the city?" Giraud asked curiously.

"It was amazing, boss." Beves removed his necklace, dispelling the illusion which made him look as a person from this time. "But more importantly, I found her, Sir Mordred."

"That's great news. Well, done Beves." Giraud patted him on the shoulder. "Now we... Wait! Did you say 'her'?" Giraud's brow furred in confusion.

"Ay, apparently Sir Mordred is a girl." Beves started to blush. "She looks just like the king, too." Giraud's eyes widened. They could hear Dunstan give a dry chuckle.

"Judging from your reaction, it seems you already knew." Giraud frowned.

"Indeed. No need to be surprised. I have been working rather closely with Milady Le Fay." Dunstan leaned against the door. "Did she say anything to you?"

"Ay, she did. We are to continue exploring the city and increase the security of our base. She will join us after a few days, though she didn't say how many. Oh, she also said not to draw any attention." Beves racked his brain to see if he hadn't forgotten anything. "That is all for now."

"Good. Then we'll see to it. I'll go and see how Esdeloth is doing with his workshop." Dunstan turned his back on them and went inside.

Giraud kept eying him suspiciously. "I just can't trust him." He muttered before turning towards Beves who was blushing for some reason. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's just..." Beves shrank under Giraud's inquisitive stare. "Sir Mordred looked rather...attractive."

Giraud burst into laughter. "Better keep that to yourself." After a brief laughter he regained his composure and became dead serious. Beves looked at him indignant. "I don't think that will work out, Beves. She is out of your league."

Beves became irritated. "I know. Let me make this clear: I don't feel anything for her. Mordred was just so beautiful. It took me by surprise, that's all." He admitted stoically. Giraud shook his head, grinning broadly and patted Beves on the shoulder.


	21. Chapter 20

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 20: New developments

Monday morning, the ninth of October. Shirou was walking through the corridor with Bedivere. Bedivere had been asking him on how one enters high school. Shirou found it odd that Bedivere reintroduced the subject back, since they probably wouldn't remain here long enough for that to have any use. "Why are you seemingly so interested in sending her to school?" Shirou finally asked.

Bedivere stopped and checked if they were alone. After discerning that it was indeed the case, he looked Shirou in the eyes. "Look, I admire the king like none other and being by her side is the highest honor for me. I have always believed that her indifference was her merely trying to be fair." He sighed heavily. "What I desired more than anything other, was to see her true expressions. Even though I spent more time at her side than anybody else, I have never seen her smile. It always angered me that the king who worked harder than anybody was never granted the happiness she deserved."

"Why didn't anyone confronted her with it?" Shirou asked. "You all knew it."

"I guess everybody had their reasons. And while I wanted my king to find happiness for her self, I was enable to do anything for her." Suddenly a smile appeared on his face. "Until you came, Emiya Shirou." Shirou stared at him confused. "Because of you, she smiled for the first time since I can remember. What I am trying to say is, Shirou...you may be the only one who got through her." Out of nowhere, Bedivere suddenly bowed before him. Shirou took a couple of steps back because of this sudden development. "I ask you...I implore you, will you help me and make her smile?"

"So you're hoping that sending her to school and spending time with me, will break that shell of hers, so to say?" Shirou asked nervously. Bedivere gave a firm nod. "Very well. Since it means so much to you I will help you. Besides, her behavior bothers me as well."

"Thank you, Shirou." Bedivere stood up, only to be met with Shirou' extended hand. Bedivere smirked and gave Shirou a firm handshake.

"Shall, we go and grab some breakfast then? Sakura should be about finished with it." Bedivere smiled and followed Shirou. The tumult of shouting reached their ears as they approached the kitchen.

"Taiga! I ask you not to take my portion!" Arturia complained loudly. "You have yours, so don't!"

"I need the energy for teaching." Taiga protested. "Besides you always take more than any of us!" When Shirou and Bedivere entered the room, they found Taiga and Arturia bickering. Sakura was following them with stunned silence. Kay followed it all with intrigue, while Gawain seemed totally baffled as he probably couldn't understand why his king was acting like this. And Merlin was obviously enjoying it to its fullest.

"That is besides the issue!" Arturia retorted. "I had already claimed those portions from the beginning. First come, first served."

Shirou shook his head. "Alright you two, knock it off." Shirou intervened. "Arturia just let Taiga have it. I'll make you something extra afterwards, okay?" Bedivere sat himself down silently at the table. When he looked at Kay inquiring, he merely lifted his shoulders and smiled, before both of them turned their attention back to her.

"Very well, Shirou. I take you up on your offer." Arturia conceded, satisfied with Shirou's proposal. Sakura looked at Shirou with some relief. "One more thing Shirou, me and the others are going to explore the city, so feel free to go to school."

"Hmm, the city? Well, I guess that I have shown you the most important parts the city and you know the address...but are you sure?" Shirou inquired surprised.

"Yes. We will explore the city for ourselves and we will see each other again this evening." Kay confirmed. "Don't worry about, we will find our way back."

"That's fine by me. But I don't have enough key's for the house. Normally the last person leaving, normally me, closes of the house." Shirou explained.

"I understand. Then one of us will remain behind and watch the house." Bedivere suggested. "If that is alright with you you?"

"A good idea, Bedivere." Kay agreed. "What do you say, Shirou?"

"I have no objections." He affirmed. "But I would prefer that it was not Merlin if this means that he is left alone."

"You do have a point there." Kay related. "I will keep an eye on him, as I fully understand your concerns." He casted a glance at Merlin.

"Oh my, oh my. It seems that I'm not that trusted." Merlin grumbled.

"Uhm, Arturia. This does mean that your extra portion will have to wait for this evening." Shirou remarked.

"That's not a problem. As long as you follow through on your promise." Arturia assured him.

"Okay, but what about lunch?" Shirou continued.

"We will seek out an establishment somewhere in the city." Gawain explained. "That being said, could you tell us what the prices are which we can expect?"

"Sure, I can give you an estimate." Shirou told them what they could expect regarding prices. They soon finished breakfast and went on their way. While Taiga, Shirou and Sakura went to school, Kay and Merlin went to explore Shinto. Bedivere and Arturia remained in Shinto. Gawain stayed behind today. Or at least until noon, when Kay and Merlin would bring him some food, before he would set out himself.

"Do you think that it will be alright, Senpai?" Sakura fretted.

"They are all very mature. Merlin is the only real concern and he has Kay watching him." Shirou assured her, making feel Sakura at ease.

"I don't really like that Merlin." Taiga growled. "But that Bedivere is rather interesting. He always looks so protective and reliable." Her growling turned to humming. Sakura and Shirou were surprised at Taiga's apparent interest in him. They looked at each other with stunned expressions.

Ayako was walking to the school with Mordred walking beside her. "You know that outsiders aren't allowed on school grounds." Ayako reminded her.

"I know, Ayako." Mordred assured her. "I'm just walking with you part of the way. While you are off to your school, I'll be going about town. There are some places which have piqued my interest."

"Like the church?" Ayako quizzed. "I never figured you for the religious type."

"Because, I'm not." Mordred intoned. "I'm just sight seeing a bit." They arrived at the intersection. Mordred stopped and faced her with a haughty grin. "This is where we split off. See you back this evening."

"You too, Mordred. Have a nice day." Ayako waved as she continued on. Mordred returned the gesture.

"Now, let's find the others." Mordred took out the necklace and made sure that she was alone. "veilede!" The rune started to glow faintly. Mordred could see a trail made from thin green mist which showed her the path. "On we go."

She marched for several hours. Following the road until the mist guided her deep into the forest. Suddenly a barrier blocked her way. When she came into contact with it, she could hear a voice in her head and a heavy weight pressing on her shoulders. "_State thy name!"_

Mordred sighed. "Sir Mordred." The weight vanished and Mordred continued. She soon reached the castle. "Fancy." She whistled. The castle was clearly built for luxury. The palisade which was currently constructed around it ruined the aesthetics completely. She spotted a couple of clay golems aiding in the construction.

"Sir Mordred!" Mordred turned to see Giraud and Beves coming up to greet her. "I thought you would join us a couple of days later?"

"That is correct. But I had some time on my hands and decided to come and see our base." Mordred explained as she examined the place.

"Dunstan and Esdelot are in the basement." Giraud informed her. "Shall I send for them?"

"Later. Why don't you show me around first?"

"Of course, Sir Mordred. Follow me, please." Giraud and Beves led on. Many of the men stared at her dumbfounded as they passed by. They let their gazes trace every inch of this girls body and their faces gave no illusions about their thoughts. Mordred's felt her irritation rise more and more. Giraud noticed this.

"Get back to work, ye numskulls. Don't you realize that this is Sir Mordred?" Giraud barked. "Stop gawking before you incur her ire." Their face contorted from amazement and fear. The fact that this was Mordred sank their lusts instantly and they quickly returned to work.

"Good work, Giraud." Mordred praised him.

"Thank you, Sir Mordred." Giraud looked at her slightly enervated. "However, may I suggest that you put on that jacket of yours? I have to admit that your current attire is... let's say rather distractive." He decided.

Mordred bit her lip in annoyance. "Very well. If it's really that much of a problem." She put on her jacket. Giraud led her inside.

"Quite luxurious." Mordred remarked. "Not even Camelot is this lavish. Do we know who owns this place?"

"We know that the owner is a magus, but other than that we have found nothing specific." Giraud fretted. "Whoever it is, Esdelot is confident that he or she won't be much of a threat to us."

"That's good to know." Mordred replied satisfied. They passed through what was obviously a dining room. Mordred felt a little annoyed when she saw the beautiful table dirtied by all the food scraps which lied on the table and floor. It made this room look like a pigsty. "Giraud, have the man clean up this mess. Outlaws or not, this is just too dirty."

Giraud scratched his head. "I will see to it." The entire castle was indeed beautiful and extravagant. The walls of the rooms had decorations carved in them, the floors were covered with marble and carpets. Paintings and portraits were present pretty much everywhere. Finally Giraud stopped in front of a double door. "This is the largest room we could find, so it would naturally belong to you, Sir Mordred."

The room was indeed large. It had canopy bed and lush carpets decorated the floor. To the south was a large window which lead to a balcony overlooking the courtyard. On the east side of the room was a bath chamber with a bad large enough to accommodate at least six people. Mordred whistled. "This make Camelot look like a poorhouse."

"But it most certainly is the one most adequate for someone of your position." Beves asserted meekly. Mordred lifted her eyebrow. "I mean you are the soon to be king of Britain."

Mordred's expression grew blank. "Yes, that I am." She stared outside the window. "I have seen enough for now. Giraud, bring me to Dunstan and Esdelot."

"At once, my lord." Giraud led her in the basement. Along the way they passed what was obviously a whine cellar and a distillery. Giraud stopped before a heavy door. "This is it."

Mordred stepped passed Giraud and entered. A moldy smell greeted her and she scowled. A loud voice yelled out. "Who enters without my permission!? I have clearly ordered that..." Esdelot fell silent when he noticed Mordred. Dunstan looked at her calmly.

"Ordered who?" Mordred mused annoyed.

"Sir Mordred? Of course you may seek me out whenever you wish." Esdelot apologized with obvious disdain. "I though you were someone else, so please forgive my outburst."

Mordred sighed. "Whatever." She looked around. Esdelot had already converted the room into his workshop. He had brought along a ton of equipment, ranging from alchemical supplies to precious metals and gems to odd devices for God knows what purpose. She saw two near identical males with short and long, green hair respectively, working on what looked like eight glass containers filled with liquid.

"Those two are Ardent and Callous." Esdelot pointed to the one with long and short hair respectively. "They are HOMUNCULI." He intoned that word in particular, casting a pleasurable glance from the corners of his eyes at Mordred. Mordred didn't notice since her attention went to the two homunculi, bitting her lip with an faint insecure look in her eyes. Dunstan's eyes moved between the two, while Giraud looked at her with a concerning frown. Beves was just confused by the atmosphere.

"I see." Mordred regained her composure. "At any rate, I have encountered someone who might give us more information about the Holy Grail." She disclosed. "A priest approached me out of nowhere and told me he could provide answers."

"You have? That is good news. However you said that the priest approached you, or did I mishear?" Dunstan noted.

"No, you didn't." Mordred confirmed. "It is indeed suspicious. What's more is that he knew who I was and he even was aware of my father. He said to meet him at the church when I wished."

"How could that be?" Beves exclaimed perplexed. Everybody looked at him. "I mean, we have only just arrived here, so how could he have known?"

"A valid point, Beves." Giraud acknowledged. "I would say that we have this priest come to us, rather than we go to him."

"That is only logical." Dunstan nodded. "What do you say, Sir Mordred?"

"While I feel that I can't trust him, my instincts tell me that he doesn't want to harm me...at least not yet." Mordred leaned against the wall and looked at them with certainty. "I will meet him at the church."

"Are you certain, Sir Mordred?" Giraud frowned.

Mordred nodded firmly with a grin. "Yes. Besides if we were to imprison him or end up killing him, it would rouse suspicion and alert the authorities."

"If that is your decision." Dunstan conceded.

"Now then. Esdelot, what are your current, short term plans for our quest?" Mordred inquired.

"I will be making some more homunculi and some Golems to add to our forces. Next to that, I will be examining the leylines and search for other Magi in the area." He explained calmly, however when he mentioned the homunculi, a hint of unease could be seen on Mordred's face. "I will also look into strengthening our defenses further in conjunction with Giraud and Dunstan."

"And we will continue to keep an eye on the city as well." Giraud added. Mordred nodded, satisfied with the current plans.

"Good. That will do for now." Mordred took her sword and headed to the door. "I'll be going and meet that priest. I'll see you again tomorrow or I'll contact you with the medallion." She exited the room.

"Wait, Sir Mordred. Allow me to show you out." Beves hurried after her. Giraud, Dunstan and Esdelot remained behind.

When he deemed them to be out of hearing range, Giraud turned to Esdelot. "What was that all about?" He demanded.

"You mean that with the homunculi?" Esdelot jeered. "Ah...you don't know. I forgot." He snickered. Giraud looked at him incredulously.

"Sir Mordred is also a homunculus." Giraud's gaze shifted to Dunstan.

"What are homunculi?" He had absolutely no idea what they were talking about.

"Homunculi are beings created through alchemical formula. As in they are artificial lifeforms shaped like humans." Esdelot explained with pleasure dripping from his words. Understanding began to show in Giraud's eyes. "When made to perfection, they could live for centuries, if not forever. However, Mordred was created with the seed of Arturia and Morgan developed her in her own womb, so she is a somewhat unusual in that regard. Also, she wasn't made to perfection."

"Meaning..." Giraud didn't like where this was going.

"Think about it, she was born after Arturia ascended the throne. So she is actually less then ten years old. Not only that, but she was made only as a means to overthrow the king, so she has only...hehehehe... a few more years to live." Esdelot laughed. Giraud felt rage boiling up within him and stormed out. He could hear Esdelot's laughter reverberating in his ears.

_She was born from Morgan and the King, which is basically incest. And a homunculus with a short lifespan to boot. _Giraud shook his head. He couldn't begin to imagine how that would feel like. He never cared about the rebellion or the motives and circumstances of people like Morgan or Mordred. But this just rubbed him the wrong way.

Arturia and Bedivere stood at the bottom to the stairs. The structure had caught their eye when they were searching the town. Ryuudou temple, is what Shirou called it. Bedivere looked at Arturia. "Well, we are scouting the city, so we would have to check it eventually." He smirked.

Arturia agreed with that. "Let's go take a look then, Bedeivere." They started ascending the stairs to the temple. It was a long set of stairs, but nothing they couldn't handle with ease. The surrounding forest made it all feel very peaceful and calming.

"How peaceful. Despite the climb, it all feels rather sooting. Wouldn't you say?" Bedivere observed the surroundings. Letting the peace and quiet seep into him.

"Most certainly. Shirou's culture has a completely different philosophy behind it. you can feel it, just by ascending these stairs." Arturia gave a small, relaxed sigh.

"Quite a climb." Bedivere remarked when they arrived at the top. He examined the court yard. "It really feels tranquil and solemn. A lot more open, too. Totally different from our own."

"You're right, Bedivere." He gave a calm sigh. "It is really calming."

"Ah...Arturia-san, Bedivere-san." A voice called out to them. When they turned to face the source they saw Neko-san waving at them. Next to her stood a man in a black monk robes and with a shaved head. She and the man walked up to them. "Are you sight-seeing? Oh yeah, this is Ryuudou Reikan. He's the head monk's oldest son."

"Pleased to meet you." He greeted. "Have you come to visit our temple?"

"Yes, we are good man. My name is Arturia Pendragon." She replied politely. "And this is my trusted friend, Bedivere."

"Good day to you." Bedivere greeted. "You have a very nice temple."

"Thank you, Bedivere-san."

"It sure is, me says." Neko laughed. "So how are things at Emiya-n's house?"

"We find our time thus far enjoyable." Bedivere informed her.

"Has that Tiger been a bit manageable?" Neko inquired suddenly.

"Tiger?" Bedivere and Arturia responded in unison.

"Fujimura's nickname." Reikan informed them. "Though she doesn't like that name." He laughed.

"Now, I remember. Yes, she did mention something about that. Thanks. Do you know Taiga as well, Reikan...-san?" Bedivere wondered.

"Indeed. The three of us went together to Homurahara." He recalled. "I even tried to ask her out a few times. Unfortunately her father's subordinates got in the way." He grinned painfully as he recalled those times.

"Ya bet they did. He even got hospitalized few times." Neko frowned. Drawing perplexed expressions from Arturia and Bedivere. Raiga didn't seem that bad. "Did you know that she is Homurabara's most dangerous former student? I always worry about how she influences Emiyan."

"She sure is very lively, I can agree with that. I rather like that in a woman." Bedivere confessed.

"Most certainly. I also find her very honest and open-minded. Such a person is rare." Arturia defended her. "Understanding that, I can understand how Shirou has grown up to be so honest." Her emotionless expression was momentarily replaced by a warm smile.

Reikan and Neko were surprised at their assessment of Taiga. They smiled in response, as it was very much true. "Well, I have to agree with that." Neko conceded placing her fist on her hip.

"True enough." Reikan's expression darkened a little bit. "Say, Bedivere. Are you interested in Taiga?" He queried. Bedivere was momentarily stunned by the sudden question.

"Not really. I have only just met her. I merely said that I prefer lively women." Bedivere explained calmly. That seemed to satisfy Reikan. "So, how were you acquainted with Shirou-kun again?"

"We were friends of Emiya Kiritsugu. He told us we could stay at his place should we ever be in the neighborhood." Arturia brought the story convincingly. "It was rather sad to learn of his passing."

"I can understand that." Reikan acknowledged. "I could show you his grave, if you want."

"That would be very kind of you, Reikan-san." Bedivere thanked him.

"Right this way." Reikan motioned them to follow. "And Neko-kun, you can ask some of the monks to help you carry the liquor. Just tell them I said so." He smiled.

"Thank you, Reikan." Neko cheered. "See you later you guys." She walked towards the the main building, as Reikan guided Arturia and Bedivere to the graveyard.

"Forgive me for prying Arturia-san, but I get the impression that you don't show much emotions." Reikan suddenly inquired. Arturia and Bedivere looked at him calmly. "I haven't offended you, I hope?"

"No, Reikan-san. It is as you say." Arturia divulged. "The reason is that I find that emotions impair me in fulfilling my duties."

Reikan looked at her incredulously. "Your duties?"

"She is currently the head of an old line of nobility, so she has a lot of responsibilities." Bedivere explained. Reikan could see the sadness in his eyes. They soon stood before Kiritsugu's grave.

"This is it." Reikan said. "I shall leave you guys alone now, so you can say your goodbye."

"Thank you, Reikan-san." Arturia replied, as Reikan left. She and Bedivere looked at the grave.

"Shirou told me once that he was inspired by him to become a hero of justice." Bedivere suddenly began. "I wonder what kind of man he was to leave such an impression on him."

"No doubt someone with a great sense of justice I reckon." Arturia responded. _Maybe I really could have gotten along with him, had our paths crossed. _They both conducted a small prayer for the man. Afterwards they were invited by Reikan for a drink, which they accepted. A couple of hours later they were back at the foot of the hill. "He is a good man." Arturia declared contently.

"He sure is. Did you also feel it, my king? That man felt like he practiced the martial arts." Bedivere pondered.

"Indeed, I did. It was obvious by his movements." Arturia agreed. When they arrived at the intersection they turned right. As they walked further they came across more and more people wearing the same outfits Shirou and Sakura had worn when they left this morning. "Judging from the clothes it would seem that we are nearing th school Shirou talked about."

"It would seem so." Bedivere looked in the direction they came from, with a curious expression on his face. "It would be safe to assume that the school day is over. What do you say? Shall we go and take a look at this school?" He smiled hopeful.

"Why not. We will probably run into Shirou." Arturia consented. One thing that Bedivere noticed was that they seemed to attract a lot of attention from the students. He could hear some of the exited whispering and giggling of girls whenever he looked at them. But more than that it seemed that Arturia was the main cause for the excitement. Both boys and girls stared at her as they passed. It was obvious that the girls were both amazed and anxious. While the boys were totally exited. "It seems that we draw a lot of attention." Arturia sighed.

_You more than me, my king._ Bedivere thought. However, it made him feel a little proud that she received such attention. They arrived at the school gate. The school day was definitely over, but there were still students loitering around. Well, not all of them loitered. Some were busy training. "I think those are part of the extracurricular activities Shirou told us about." Bedivere observed. They entered the school grounds, ignoring the gazes the students casted on them.

A student walked up to them, with a serious expression. "Excuse me. Are the two of you visitors? If not, I have to inform you that outsiders are not allowed on the school grounds." He stated clearly.

"My apologies. We wanted to see the school, since my friend here might be enrolled here." Bedivere quickly informed him. "My name is Bedivere. May I inquire your name?"

The student looked at him for a moment as if he was sizing him up. "Good evening, Bedivere-san. I am Ryuudou Issei, the student-council president. And who might your companion be?"

"Call me Arturia Pendragon." She introduced herself with great dignity. "You said your name was Ryuudou Issei? That means that you're Shirou's friend."

"Are you an acquaintance of him?" He asked directly. "How do you know him exactly?"

"I must say that you are rather rude you know that." Bedivere chided him.

"We know him through his father, Kiritsugu. We were good friends with him. He told us that we could stay at his place should we ever visit Japan." Arturia delivers the story flawlessly.

"I understand. According to Shirou he loved travelling, so it wouldn't be abnormal for him to meet someone like him." Issei accepted the story right away.

"What do I hear? Issei accepting a girl? Now that's rare." Mitsuzuri Ayako was just passing by, when she heard their conversation. Then her eye fell on Arturia and she became silent.

"Ah, Mitsuzuri-san. On your way to the archery club, I see." Issei greeted her. Issei followed her gaze towards Arturia. "It crossed my mind as well. She looks exactly as your friend who you brought the other day."

"I have heard about her from Mordred." Mitsuzuri replied calmly. "My I ask your names?"

"I am Arturia Pendragon and this is Bedivere." Arturia introduced themselves. I know that Mordred is currently a guest at your house, but I would like to ask you to send her over to us." She requested politely.

"Hmmm. I can tell that you have no ill intentions and you seem trustworthy as well." Ayako began. "However, I can't do as you ask. Mordred is a good person. Furthermore she has helped me and the trio when we were in trouble." She spoke with sincerity. "It may not be my place to interfere, but I would like to help her if I can." Her tone indicated her resolve.

"She must have left quite the impression on you." Issei remarked adjusting his glasses. "It seems like you won't be dissuaded either. But I can support your decision."

"Are you people aware of the nature of our circumstances?" Arturia asked firmly.

"No, but what ever it is, I know that it causes her pain." Ayako sighed. "Say, do you hate her?"

Arturia was surprised by the sudden question, but she regained her composure fast. "I have never once despised her." She declared honestly. Ayako nodded in response.

"I hope you don't mind, but I would like to ask you to leave her alone until she thinks she is ready to face you?"

Arturia thought about it for a moment before she replied. "I can't promise to leave her alone, but out of respect for your resolve, I will do my best to resolve this peacefully." Her voice was full of dignity.

"I too, will honor this agreement." Bedivere stated.

"Thank you." Ayako smiled. "Anyway, you surprised me Issei." She changed the subject. "You don't like any girls."

"That's not true, Mitsuzuri-san. Girls are loud, but Arturia here is just fine. Humble women are part of our cultural heritage after all." Issei explained casually. "Neither have I anything against a brave woman such as yourself."

This made her blush a little. "I'm honored." She said bashfully.

"I can also support your decision to help Mordred-san. Love and Compassion are fundamental teachings of Buddhism after all. Ka-!" He made a praying gesture. "That aside. I believe that you two wished to have a tour of the school, right?"

"Correct, Issei-san." Bedivere affirmed.

"I'm afraid that I still have some things to do." Issei informed them. "However, I could ask Shirou to be your guide, since you know him. And since your currently are guests at his house, I would reckon you are also familiar with Fujimura-sensei?"

"Your deduction is spot on. It would be preferable, but we understand if they are currently unavailable." Bedivere clarified.

"If you don't mind, I will go to the club now. I am already late. Later!" Ayako said as she ran off.

"See you later." Issei replied. "I will find you a guide. In the mean time, would you please follow me to the visitors lounge. You can wait there for someone."

"Very well. Please, lead the way." Arturia agreed. Issei subsequently brought them to the visitors lounge. As Issei guided them, Arturia and Bedivere observed their surroundings. The students walking through the hallway who gazed at them as they passed by where distracting to say the least.

"Please wait here. I'll return momentarily." They gave a silent nod and Issei left.

"It is as Shirou told us. He was quite bashful around strangers, at least he was initially." Bedivere observed. "Shirou told us that he didn't like girls." He smirked. "Would this have surprised him?"

"Perhaps." Arturia browsed through some magazines that lay on the table. "Ohh!" She found one which piqued her interest. She grabbed it and started reading with utmost concentration. Bedivere looked at the magazine with a puzzled expression. When he saw the name, he smiled from exasperation and amusement, and shook his head.

They didn't have to wait long. When Issei returned he was accompanied by Fujimura Taiga. "Helloooo!" She cheered. "Arturia-san, Bedivere-san. Ryuudou-kun told me that you wanted a tour of the school. It was a surprise though."

"If you don't mind Fujimura-sensei, I will be leaving now." Issei told her.

"Ah...No problem. You can go back to what you where doing, Ryuudou-kun." Taiga waved. "I'll look after these two."

"Very well. It was a pleasure meeting you." He said. Arturia and Bedivere gave a slight nod and he left.

"Shirou is busy somewhere, so I'm sure we will run into him at some point." Taiga assured them. "He's always out helping someone or fixing equipment." She sighed. Then she noticed the magazine Arturia was holding. "Ha! Feel free to take that with you, Arturia-chan." She laughed. It was obvious that she and Arturia were thinking the same thing.

"Thank you, Taiga." Arturia answered with a straight face.

"Shall we begin the tour then?" She started through the door. "Oh, yeah. No outdoor shoes allowed, so use those slippers." She pointed to the slippers stored in the shoe rack.

"The first floor isn't much to see. Here we have mainly the staff room, nurses office for when people get sick. And this over here is the cafeteria." She stopped to show it. Right now the cafeteria was closed, but the faint aroma of the food remained, prickling Their noses.

"How is the food here?" Arturia inquired. Her eyes shone from anticipation.

"Pretty good, I would say." Taiga grinned. "But Shirou's food is still better. Many students also bring their home made obento."

"I think I will ask him for one tomorrow." Arturia clenched the magazine.

"You do that." Suddenly Taiga went to stand next to Bedivere. "Shall we move on? By the way Bedivere would you mind if we did some idle chatter." She gave him a small nudge.

"If it would please you." He responded politely.

Taiga swayed from happiness. "So Bedivere, how long have you been practicing sword fighting?" She asked as she walked next to him, Arturia in tow.

"Ever since I was six years old." Bedivere replied modestly. "My forte is fighting with shield and sword."

Taiga and Bedivere continued their idle talk until they reached the second floor. Arturia wasn't bothered by it, so she followed silently. There they ran into Kuzuki. "Ah, Kuzuki-sensei. Almost done for today?"

"Yes, Fujimura-sensei. I see you are giving a tour. What happened with the archery club?" He asked stoically.

"I left Mitsuzuri-kun in charge for a while. She's more than capable." Taiga laughed. "Let me introduce you to Bedivere-san and Arturia-san."

"Well met, Kuzuki-san." Bedivere bowed. "Fujimura-san was so kind to provide a tour of the school for me and my friend."

Kuzuki eyes met with Arturia who looked at him. She somehow seemed a little guarded, but greeted him politely regardless. "Good day to you. Is there something wrong?"

Kuzuki crossed his arms. "No. Pardon me for staring. It's just that a girl who looked exactly like you had visited the day before yesterday. So it made me a little curious."

"So you've met Mordred?" Arturia surmised, her eyes narrowing.

"Correct. But unlike you she was more rebellious. Both in her personality and appearance." Kuzuki recalled.

"Yes. She's always been like that." Bedivere added.

"I had encountered her again yesterday." Taiga blurted out. "We went to the tea shop in the Verde together. It was quite fun."

Arturia and Bedivere looked at her shocked. "You spent the day with Mordred?" Bedivere asked rather disappointed.

Taiga looked at him calmly. "Sure. She didn't hurt anybody. I confronted her with what I heard from you people and she promised me that she wouldn't involve any of the students." She looked Arturia straight in the eyes. There was no sign of her usual playfulness. "And I believe her."

"While our relationship is bad, I do trust her to keep her word. Her pride wouldn't allow it otherwise." Arturia agreed firmly.

"It seems that you have some serious issues with each other." Kuzuki pondered.

"You have no idea." Bedivere sighed.

"Yes. I heard her muttering something about being the dirtied child." Taiga went on. "Can you elaborate on that, Arturia-kun?"

Arturia answered without emotions with a straight face. "She was born out of infidelity."

Taiga and Kuzuki stared at her silently. "It's just a hunch, but are you from a high ranking family?" Kuzuki asked.

Arturia nodded. "I am of noble birth."

"I see. So as an illegitimate child she is probably a thorn in many eyes." Kuzuki reasoned. "It's not uncommon for illegitimate children to receive the scorn of the legit family members."

"I kinda feel sorry for her. It must have been hard for her." Taiga gave a sad sigh. Bedivere was a bit surprised by this conversation. He hadn't thought about Mordred in such a way before.

"You're misunderstanding something." Arturia said suddenly. Everybody looked at her. "I can assure you, that her family never despised her. Not even once." She declared with a clear voice.

"If that is true, then that would beg the question: Is she aware of that?" Kuzuki asserted. "How one person views something, can be seen differently by another."

"A valid point. I hadn't considered it." Arturia admitted, with an expression as if scolding herself. "Thank you, Kuzuki-san. You've showed me a new perspective of things."

"No thanks needed. Now then, if you'll excuse me." Kuzuki started towards the stairs and disappeared from view.

"That was rather heavy-hearted." Taiga frowned. "Now then. Shall we continue with the tour?" She was back to being cheerful.

Mordred arrived at the church. She paused for a moment to admire the building. She never was one for religion, but this church was beautiful in it's simplicity. "Let's see what that priest has to say." Her instincts told her that it was safe, so she proceeded through the gate and went straight to the main door. When she entered, she found the building completely empty. No, there was one person sitting at the very front of the church. Her instincts tingled. She gripped her sword and approached him carefully. "Hey, you. Can you tell me where the priest is?" She asked. Her normal haughtiness was replaced with caution, because she realized that this person was powerful.

The man stood up and turned towards her. His golden hair and red eyes reflected the light falling through the windows. Dressed in fancy clothes and with the dignity of a king, his very being can only be described as golden. He looked at her with interest, but also with annoyance. He walked towards the exit. Mordred tensed up, her sharp gaze watching his every move. She thought that he looked familiar somehow.

"He is in the back. Through that door." He said, not even hiding his annoyance and left the church. Mordred looked over her shoulder as the man departed, feeling very offended by the man's tone. "It was quite a surprise, but not unexpected. At least she has the dignity of a king, not bad for a filthy meat doll." The man scoffed as he left through the gate.

Mordred went through the door and crossed the court yard and entered the first door she saw. The room contained a couple of armchairs and couches around a low table. The priest was sitting on one of the couches sipping wine. He smiled when he noticed her. "So you've come, Mordred. Please have a seat." He motioned to th chair next to him. "Would you like some wine?"

"No thank you." She replied with a low voice as she sat down, placing her sword next to her. She looked the priest in the eyes. The man didn't feel dangerous, but he had a heavy presence. "Why? Why have you decided to give me information about the Grail? What is your game?"

"Because it interests me. The legendary Mordred and King Arthur competing for the Holy Grail. I wonder who will emerge victorious." He took a sip of wine. "Besides, who am I to interfere with the desires of others?"

Mordred didn't trust him. This guy was planning something, but for now... "How do you know about the War?"

"Because, I participated in the previous one." He responded honestly. "And it so happens, that I am the Overseer of the upcoming fifth War." Mordred straightened herself.

"So you know all about it. Very well then. You can start by telling me the most important things ." She ordered. Kirei looked at her, unfazed by her order.

"As you wish." Kirei put down his glass and commenced his explanation. "The first thing that you need to know is that only those chosen by the Grail may participate. Each time seven Magi are chosen to participate."

"So, the participant has to be a Magus." Mordred scoffed as she sank in the chair. "I should have known."

"Rest easy, there might be a way to participate regardless." Mordred rose back up, a hopeful glimmer in her eyes. A imperceptible smile appeared on Kirei's face. "Let's continue. Those Magi are called Masters. Around one or two moths before the start of the War, it becomes possible to summon a Servant. While it is possible to summon one without a catalyst, most chose to use one. This allows them to be more specific in choosing their desired Servant."

"So far it seems straightforward. Tell me more about the Servants." Mordred repeated what he had just said in the back of her mind.

Kirei gave a nod. "Servants are called forth from the Throne of Heroes. When they are summoned by the world they are simply emotionless tools to correct the balance of the world." He stood up and and walked to a cabinet to refill his wine. "Summoning them as Servants however, manifests them as they were in life, with all of their emotions, memories, experience...their complete personality. The Master must be able to supply the Servant with Prana, so the Servant can remain anchored in this world."

"That's certainly interesting. Just like my father I have a tremendous supply of Prana." Mordred nodded. "Can I have some wine?

"As you wish. The Masters are granted three Command Spells. They usually appear somewhere on the arms. These are proof that one is a Master and allows him or her claims of absolute obedience over his or her Servant." Kirei continued as he poured her some wine. "For each War, the Grail provides three for every Master, giving a total of twenty-one. That is the limit."

"Absolute obedience?" Those words somehow rubbed her the wrong way.

"Correct. They are best used for simple and direct commands. One could for example augment ones servant attack power by commanding the Servant to strike with all his might, or even even allow the Servant to teleport directly to you in a pinch." Kirei smiled and handed her the wine. "You can even force them to do something they would normally refuse to do."

"Trample their honor and pride, you mean. That would most certainly worsen the relation between Servant and Master." Mordred grimaced. As a warrior herself, she could imagine how it feels like for her honor and pride to be tarnished.

"That depends on the personality of the hero." Kirei sat back down and handed her a glass of wine. Mordred immediately took a big gulp. "Now then as long as the Master has at least one Command Spell remaining, he or she is allowed to participate in the War. As long as that is the case, the contract with the Servant remains intact and in the event the Servant is defeated, it is possible establish a contract with a Masterless Servant."

"So it all comes down to that Command Spell." Mordred deduced.

"And this is where it gets interesting for you. It is possible for someone who is not a magus to become a Master." Kirei smiled when Mordred got exited. "One way is to steal the Spells from another Master and transplant them, or by using a Command Spell planted on a Grimoire."

Mordred gulped down the rest of the wine. "So by taking it from someone else, I could participate?" She stared fiercely at him. "For a knight to steal..."

"Of course, if something as theft is unthinkable for you, than you should chose a Magus as your proxy for the War. Your mother perhaps?" He smiled. And it was clear why. He knew that Mordred had a wish she wanted granted. Kirei was certain that if her mother would participate in her place, she would lose her chance to have it granted. The bastard had realized it all too well. She growled and averted her gaze. Then she calmed down a bit and gulped down the rest of the wine.

"One more thing. What are these catalysts?" Mordred inquired.

"A relic that is tied to a specific hero's tale. For example, a piece of the Argo would allow one to summon one of the heroes which sailed on it. Of course when the Relic is tied to multiple heroes, the hero who is most compatible with the summoner will be called forth."

"I see. That's good to know. Continue." Mordred leaned towards him. "How is the Summoning done?"

Kirei took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it over to her. "The details of the Summoning are written on it. The War will begin three months from now on, in January. You have some time to prepare." Mordred took the note and her sword.

"I don't know what you are planning, but I will be prepared for anything you try." Mordred warned him. He merely smiled, as he had expected it.

"And don't worry. I won't tell anyone of our meeting. That wouldn't be fun at all." He laughed. "But be ware that I will have to notify the Church and the Association if you draw too much attention." Mordred gave an acknowledging look at him and left. Kirei who was very pleased by how it went, returned to savoring his wine.


	22. Chapter 21

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 21: Questions and answers

Arturia was reading the magazine in the dining room, while Bedivere was watching TV. He had stumbled on a documentary about how cars worked and it enjoyed his undivided attention. They had returned home an hour ago after their tour of the school. Shirou had been quite surprised to see them at school. Not that he had a problem with it. He hoped that they would enjoy their tour. Shirou did inform them that because of some repairs he has to do that he would be returning later then anticipated.

The door opened and Kay and Gawain entered the room. "Good evening, Bedivere...my dear... sister." Kay began as he sat down at the table. "How was your day?"

"Good. Thank you, Kay." Arturia looked over the magazine. "It still feels odd for you to call me sister." She felt a little strange because of it. After all, most of her life she has been treated as a boy. To be called sister felt, to her at least, out of place.

"I know. From the day we met, I was to consider you as my brother. And to call you 'sister' after all this time..." He rested on his elbows and shook his head. "I don't think I will ever get used to it." Arturia nodded in agreement.

"What have you been doing up until now?" Bedivere inquired, turning his attention away from the TV.

"We have been sparring in the dojo." Gawain replied as he took a beer from the fridge. "Kay put up a good fight, but alas."

"And where is Merlin?" Kay became alarmed when Bedivere mentioned him. He hadn't seen him since Gawain had returned.

"I don't know." Kay jumped to his feet.

"He's gone outside." Gawain gave the answer. "He told me that he wanted to examine the leylines of the city." He sat down at the table and opened the can.

"And you just let him go unsupervised!?" Kay already felt a headache coming up. "You know what he is like. He will most likely cause trouble, if he hasn't already." Kay exclaimed.

"Kay. Merlin is a troublesome person, but I believe that this is one of the rare moments that he won't cause us problems. He said that he would investigate the Grail and I am certain that it will distract him enough to prevent him from causing an incident." Arturia said that, but there was still a pause of doubt in her voice.

"I hope that your right." Kay clenched his teeth and sat back down. He started tapping the table nervously. "I hope...that you are."

The next moment they heard the front door open. "I am home." Shirou's voice sounded from the hall.

"I'm coming in." As did Sakura's.

Merlin was returning to Miyami town. He had managed to identify four locations where this Grail could manifest. His first choice was the Church in Shinto, but he abandoned that idea as the Church came into view. A premonition had struck him. The vision of someone with a ruler's disposition, who was present at the church. A really powerful entity, whose very aura shone golden, a king. He turned back immediately, realizing the danger he could find himself in.

"My, my. That certainly is troublesome." Merlin muttered with a troubled smile. "That King is undoubtedly connected to the Grail. His power alone is prove enough. I will have to inform the others." His usual cheery expression returned. "But first, onward to the next three." Jabbing his index finger into the air. But then he made a painful expression. "And one of them is that Tohsaka girl's house. No biggie. Then I shall go to visit that park first."

He immediately sensed it when he arrived at the place a short while later. "Something horrible has happened here." His voice was uncharacteristically serious. He placed his hand on the ground. _"Oh, Spirits tell. Tell me. What hast transpired hither?"_

The world around him started to burn. As Merlin watched around he saw the buildings burn, the people screaming. Some were dying, others were seeking a way to escape the blaze...and there were some who risked their lives those save others. "Such tragedy... such regrets..." He lamented slightly. His eyes caught something in the sky. It was a hole. Through which some kind of liquid poured. Merlin recognized it for what it was. "Curses. Without a doubt caused by powerful magic. Could it be? Just what is this Grail?"

Merlin began to focus. His gaze jumped from one point to another and everywhere was death. Then he saw him. A familiar looking young boy. He was walking through the inferno, looking for a way out. Merlin knew immediately that the boy should have died under these circumstances. He followed him with his gaze. The boy received burns, but still kept walking. The boy fell. He would die there. Then it started to rain and the fires started to die out. "How did you survive?" He heard someone stumbling. It was a man. He looked around with vacant eyes, searching for survivors. He found the boy and rushed to him. Kneeling besides the boy, he cried tears of joy. But time was of the essence. If he didn't do something soon the boy would still die. So he used the only thing that he still had.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my!" Merlin eyes grew wide from excitement. "This is most interesting."

Back at Shirou's place, a heated discussion was taking place. "I say, Shirou, it wouldn't be a problem to have a vegetable garden in the yard. It's big enough." Arturia argued. "Also, having a sow to search out truffles would be very useful."

"It's not going to happen. I can understand that you would like to try those high-class ingredients, but it is too expensive." Shirou countered. Everybody else was following the discussion with great interest. Sakura and Kay were stunned, while Bedivere was somewhat amused. Gawain frowned. "Speaking of which, where did that suddenly come from?"

Arturia took the magazine she had been reading and showed it to him. D_elicious foods you want to try! _"I read about it in here." She opened it and started browsing again. "I found it in the visitors-lounge of the school. Taiga said it was alright to take it. Shark-fins doesn't sound bad either."

"Give me that. I will hit that stupid tiger and give her a scolding." Shirou moved to grab the magazine, but Arturia deftly evaded his grasp. "Would someone please keep that thing from her!?"

"Why don't we halt the discussion here, Arturia?" Kay shook his head and stood up and blocked her way. "If you want I will see if we can spare some money for it at some point." He held out his hand. "In the mean time why don't you give me that, before Shirou's nerves give out?" He smirked.

Arturia looked at with some disappointment, but handed it over anyway. "Very well." She turned back to face Shirou. "I will leave you to your business then." Shirou sighed, he gave Kay a silent thanks when their eyes met.

A short while later Shirou and Sakura where fully engaged with cooking when they heard Taiga enter. "Hello!" She cheered as she sat down at the table. "Ah, Arturia-chan. Did you manage to convince Shirou?"

"No thanks to Kay's intervention." Shirou replied in her stead. "I should have known that you had a hand in it, stupid tiger."

"Bwaaa, Shirou you meanie." Taiga whined. "And you too, Kay." She grumbled. Kay merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Taiga." Arturia reassured her, but with a sad smile. "Kay promised me that he would look into making some money available, so we can try to obtain something another time."

"Yaiiii. That's good to know. That reminds me of something." Taiga looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Aren't you a noble?" Arturia nodded silently. "Then why are you on a budget?" This took Arturia by surprise, luckily Kay intervened.

"Because we want to avoid excessive spending." Kay informed her. She starred at him silently. "And also, since we are nobility I think it is important to learn how to manage one's finances mindfully. In my opinion, it's irresponsible to spend money frivolously, even if you are wealthy. And lastly, there are other important things which require money. Does this answer your question satisfactory?"

"Yes, it does." Taiga said meekly. Kay's gracious, impeccable tone of voice and elegant gestures overwhelmed her a bit. "I think my father would readily agree with your statements."

Kay gave a satisfied smile. "I don't doubt it." He gave a nod and took the newspaper which he had brought from their walk.

Now taiga turned to Bedivere with a hopeful smile. "Say, Bedivere-chan..." Sakura and Shirou stared at her, completely stunned from surprise. "Would you mind sparring with me after dinner? I'm thinking of improving my skills."

"If milady Taiga wishes it, I shall be happy to oblige." He agreed with a courteous bow. Taiga wiggled around happily.

"So, what did you think of the tour?" She changed the subject.

"It was really informative." He responded.

"What tour is she talking about?" Gawain inquired. "Wait? Did the two of you visit the school?"

"Correct, Gawain." Arturia confirmed. "We were in the neighborhood after we visited the temple."

"You visited the temple?" Shirou came out of the kitchen.

"Yes. We encountered Neko-san and Reikan-san." Bedivere continued. "We even visited Kiritsugu's grave."

"Father's grave? It's been a long time since I visited it." Shirou closed his eyes and scratched his head. When was the last ime he visited? He couldn't remember.

"You don't visit your father's grave?" Kay was surprised. "Why not?"

"No reason in particular. Although Fuji-nee visits often." Shirou explained. "What?" He asked when he saw Kay's disapproving look.

"One should always spare some time to visit the last resting place of his relatives." He stated firmly. And he returned back to his newspaper.

"Anyway... Shirou how long until dinner is ready? I still have some paperwork to do for the festival." Taiga clasped her hands together.

"A couple of minutes more. Just be patient." Shirou said calmly and he returned to the kitchen.

"Is there going to be a festival, Taiga?" Arturia's interest was piqued. "What kind of festival?"

"Ah, that would be the school festival at the beginning of November." Taiga regaled. "In the first weekend of November the schools organize a festival. During which everyone is allowed to visit. The students organize various events and small shops to entertain the visitors, which allows them to also learn a thing or two about doing business."

"So it's an event to both entertain and learn?" Kay voiced his approval. "That's very good. Two birds in one stone."

"Do you think that you will remain long enough to see it?" Taiga inquired.

"Perhaps. Time will tell." Arturia looked eager to experience it. Then the door opened and Merlin poked his head in. "Good evening. Am I still in time for supper?"

Mordred was sitting in Ayako's garden. Using the amulet she was currently explaining what she had learned about the Grail to Dunstan, Esdelot and Giraud. "So that's the situation. We have around three months before the War starts. We need to find a relic before then, or we have to obtain a Servant and Command Spells from one of the other Masters during the ritual."

"That sure was convenient. Having that priest explain everything." Giraud muttered. "I don't trust it. He's up to something."

"Yes, he most definitively is." Mordred agreed. "But I do believe that the information he divulged is trustworthy."

"On what grounds do you base this?" Esdelot questioned, obviously skeptical. "I hope you have some proof for this."

"Just my instinct. And I trust my instinct." Mordred stated plainly. Esdelot grumbled, unsatisfied by her response.

"Instinct? That's it? Sure you don't want to consult a truth seer first?" He asked sarcastically.

"Watch your words, Esdelot!" Mordred warned him with a low voice. "I trust my instinct far more then I do you."

"Do you want us to keep an eye on that priest?" Dunstan interfered before the argument spiraled out of control. "Or we could even potentially abduct him for a short while. Interrogate him, erase his memory and send him back."

"No, best not." Mordred's voice grew a bit tenser. "There was another person present at the Church and from what I felt, I am certain that he posses a great amount of power. He is most likely involved with the priest. We best stay clear of those two and just keep an eye on them from a distance."

"Is he that powerful?" Dunstan marvelled.

"Yes!" Mordred responded with absolute certainty. "That man is not to be taken lightly. But on to the next part. You said that you found three Magi residences, Esdelot?"

"Correct. They are all located on this side of the river. Two of them are close together in the southern part near the edge of the city. The third one is a real laugh. I say Magus residence, but it's far too exposed for that." He scoffed, seemingly irritated at the fact. "It's to the north, near the very edge of the city. Can't mis it. It's a rather large estate. And the most interesting part is that it is the place where your 'father' is operating from." He sighed. "And she isn't alone either. So far I have seen Bedivere, Kay, Gawain and Merlin. But there could be more, I'm not sure yet." He paused for a moment and send her a vision of the locations.

"I see." Mordred responded irritated. "So I take it the house they are staying at is that of Shirou?"

"Most likely, yes." Esdelot continued. "Shall we try and capture one of the Magi of the other two houses? Magic has been declining since the end of the Age of the Gods. And seeing as we are currently 1,500 years in the future, it should be easy to overwhelm them." He smirked.

"No, not yet. Observe them for now. There is a possibility that there disappearance could cause problems." Mordred explained. "Shirou mentioned an organization of Magi that exists in this time. If these Magi are a part of that, it could spell problems for us in the future. For now we wait and observe."

"Are you sure." Esdelot responded annoyed. "It would be best to use them to gather more information on the War."

"Yes, I am sure?" Mordred grumbled. "It's still three months until the Ritual begins, so I don't want to draw unnecessary attention."

"Or perhaps you just want to enjoy some more time with your new friends." Esdelot spat.

"Esdelot! Watch your words." It was Giraud warned him. Mordred had fallen unnervingly silent.

"I've seen you with those girls. Do you enjoy their company? Maybe I should pay a visit and get to know them." He continued unfazed by Giraud's warning. "I already know where they live."

"Esdelot! One more word and I..." Giraud reached to grab him.

"You do what, fool? Do you actually think that you can best me?" He stared Giraud in the eyes.

"Enough, both of you." Dunstan stepped in, weary of the argument. "Sir Mordred?"

"Those girls are just a cover to prevent my father from doing anything rash." Mordred stated coldly. "But I am still a knight and I will not stand for harming the innocents. So be warned Esdelot. And if you speak to me like that ever again, there will be consequences. Understood?" She ended with a dangerously low voice.

"Yes." Esdelot growled and Mordred cut off her connection. "I'll be in my workshop." He shrugged past Giraud and went to the basement. He slammed open the door, causing his homunculi to turn their heads in surprise. "Back to work!"

After calming down a bit, Esdelot sat himself down and looked at the glass containers. Now they were filled with liquid and something was busy growing inside it. More homunculi. Homunculi intended for combat, to be more precise. "Just you wait. I will be to participate in this Ritual. I will seize the Grail and then... Mordred, Arthur, Morgan..." A dreamy grin appeared on his face for a moment. He shook his head and returned to his work. A lot of preparations need to be completed if he wanted to seize the Grail. Next to that he also wanted some children for one of his side-projects. But for now he would have to wait for his homunculi to mature.

Mordred was looking at the last bit of red from the sunset when Ayako called. "Dinner is ready. We are having some roasted pork."

Pork? She was up for that. "Coming." She hurried inside.

"How was your day? Did you explore the city some more?" Ayako inquired.

"Yeah. I visited the church and made a stroll through the woods. It was fun." She informed her. "But that priest at the church was an... odd one, to say the least."

"I have heard something similar once about that man." Ayako confirmed. "But we shouldn't gossip. So, lets go and enjoy the meal." Mordred nodded. Ayumi had made a delicious meal, which showed clearly on Mordred's face.

"Glad to see, that you enjoy it." Ayumi smiled happily.

"Tastes good." Mordred swallowed another piece of pork. "By the way, I have found another place to stay."

"You did?" Takumi sounded surprisingly disappointed.

"Yes. Which means I will leave for that place after a couple of more days." Mordred explained matter-of-factly.

"You should do what you think is best. But know that you are welcome here." Takumi announced.

Mordred looked at him silently, before giving a rare smile. "Thank you, mister Takumi."

Shortly after that Ayako and Mordred went to Ayako's room. They decided to play some video games before going to sleep. Then Ayako began to speak. "You know, I met Arturia today."

Mordred stopped playing and casted a sideway glance at her. "Arturia?"

"Yes, she visited out school along with someone called Bedivere." She laid down her controller and turned to face Mordred. "I had a chat with her."

"What did you talk about?" Mordred said with a neutral voice. "Did you discuss our relation?"

"I wanted to know what kind of person she was." Ayako declared honestly. "I also asked her to not force the matter between you two. She told me that she would like to solve the conflict peacefully."

"You can trust that she will keep her word." Mordred sighed, somewhat annoyed. "Her honor and pride demand that she does."

"Mordred...Perhaps you should face her and talk things over." Ayako suggested with a worried look. "I get the feeling that for whatever reason, you don't want to talk things out with her." She fell silent when she saw the look in Mordred's eyes.

"Talking won't solve our conflict. She is too stubborn for that. Arturia was always the perfect one." Scorn filled her voice, but strangely also a hint of admiration. "Talking things over won't help. She would never ackn..." Mordred stopped there for a moment. "No, if I can succeed in what I came to do here, then she will have to accept it."

Ayako looked at her uncertainly. "And if she still doesn't accept it?" She was not sure what Mordred was referring too.

"Then I'll make sure she'll regret it." A cruel and angry, yet sad smile flashed across her face for a moment. It vanished instantly and Mordred gave a heavy hearted sigh. "Now my mood is completely ruined. I will be going to bed now." She put down the controller and crawled in her futon. Ayako sighed. That could have gone better.

The next morning, Ayako was walking to school. Mordred had gotten up early, saying that she went to walk around town some more. Ayako shook her head. Just what was going on inside Mordred. What happened to her, that made her this way? As she walked to school, she ran in to Yukika. She was bringing her little brothers to the school bus. The golden haired boy was there too.

"Ah, Mitsuzuri-san." Yukika waved. "How is Mordred dong?"

"We had a chat last night. Didn't go very well." Ayako replied saddly. 'Hey, Kouta-kun. How are you doing?"

"Good, Ayako-san." Kouta replied yawning. "I wish we didn't have to get up so early."

"We all have to." Ayako grinned.

"I am envious of Gil. He doesn't need to go to school." Kouta complained.

"He doesn't go to school?" Ayako's eyes went wide fr a moment.

"No, I don't." Gil had walked up to them, wearing a broad smile.

"Do you get private tuition or something?" Ayako inquired.

"Something like that." He replied. "My teacher is a real odd one, so I'm thinking going to school myself, maybe."

"Onee-san." It was Aki, Yukika's youngest brother at seven years old. He was pulling at his sister's sleeve. "There is a weird man looking at us." He was pointing at green haired man, of around twenty years. He was standing on the corner seemingly looking down the street.

"Don't point, Aki. That's not polite." Yukika chided him gently. The man's gaze turned towards them. Yukika smiled at him. The man turned his head away, seemingly disinterested.

"He is behaving a bit odd, indeed." Ayako pondered. Nobody saw Gil's eyes narrowing as he stared at the man intensely. The school bus finally arrived.

"Behave yourselves." Yukika said to her brothers as they entered the bus.

"We will, onee-san." Kouta replied slightly annoyed, to which Yukika merely smiled. The doors closed and the bus departed. "Shall we go too, Mitsuzuri-san?"

"Ah, let's go. Until another time, Gil-kun." Ayako and Yukika waved as they continued to school. Gil returned the gesture, when he turned around. The green haired man had disappeared.

Meanwhile at school, Shirou was busy repairing a stove. As he applied some soldering at one of the loose contacts, Issei struck a conversation. "So, I hear that you have some visitors. I met some of them yesterday. Arturia-san and Bedivere-san."

"Yeah. She along with her brother and some friends are staying here for an extended period of time." Shirou elaborated. "What do you think?"

"I think that she's a good woman. And Bedivere-san seemed to be very reliable." Issei admitted, causing Shirou to pause and look at him surprised.

"That's rare. You usually don't like girls." Shirou blinked in surprise, causing Issei to frown.

"Even a novice would recognize a Buddha when one would appear next to him. She's just that good a person." He readjusted his glasses. "I wouldn't mind meeting her again. On that note, do you think that she will enroll?"

"It's not impossible, but I would say it's very unlikely." Shirou said. _If she would enroll it would cause quite an uproar._

"Do you like her?" Issei continued.

"Well, I guess so. Though she is a bit asocial." Shirou sighed.

"How so?"

"For starters, she barely smiles. And she can be quite stubborn at times." Shirou summed up.

"I don't think that you should talk about others being stubborn. Kah!" Issei reprimanded him. "You yourself are the most stubborn person, I have ever met." Shirou shrugged his shoulders and returned to fixing the stove.

The door opened, immediately followed by Issei's complaining. "Tohsaka! To what do I owe this displeasure."

"Ah, good morning Issie-kun." Tohsaka replied calmly. "I am sorry for interrupting, but I would like to talk with Shirou for a moment."

"What do you want to talk about, Tohsaka?" Shirou stood up and faced her.

"For now just I wanted to ask you to meet me on the roof during recess." Tohsaka said. "It's about that issue."

"What issue?" Issei became suspicious. "Are you plotting something?"

"No, she isn't plotting anything." Shirou assured him. "There is just something she wishes to talk about." He turned towards Tohsaka. "I'll be there."

"Good. Thank you Shirou." She brushed her hair and left. "Until next time, Issei." Issei silpy glared daggers at her.

Tohsaka made her way to the archery club. She would like to talk with Ayako about Mordred for a while before classes started. She spotted her immediately on arrival. "Hey, Mitsuzuri-san." She called out to her. When she saw Tohsaka she walked over to her.

"Good morning, Tohsaka. How are your doing?" A broad smile appeared on her face. "You know, we haven't talked about this in a while, but have you found a partner yet?"

Tohsaka shook her head smiling. "No, I haven't found anyone yet. But that's not why I came right now." Her faced turned serious. "Can I talk to you in private for a moment?"

Ayako gave a nod and they went behind the club building. Tohsaka looked at her and shrugged her voice. "I wanted to talk to you sooner about this. I want to talk about Mordred."

"You know about her?" Ayako wondered. "From all the chit-chat after her visit?"

"No. From Arturia and her friends." Tohsaka admitted. "Firstly, what do you think of her?"

Ayako weighed her opinion of her. "She is a very rebellious and eager person. And also rather haughty. She radiates absolute confidence." She frowned worriedly. "I would even say over-confident. But she is a good person."

Tohsaka lined up what Ayako told her in her mind and went over them. "Interesting. She hasn't caused any trouble for you or other people?"

"No, not really. What are you getting at, Tohsaka? Is there something bothering you?" She questioned.

Tohsaka sighed. "Very well, I'll tell you. Arturia and her friends want to take her back home. So they asked me to help them, since I know you."

"I'm sorry Tohsaka, but I won't help you." Ayako stated resolute.

Tohsaka nodded with an expression of understanding. "Can you tell me why you decided to do so?"

Ayako's expression became dead serious. "Firstly, because she helped me and the trio when we were in trouble, so I owe her." Her expression became a little sadder. "And because I want to help her. She has problems with her family and I have come to realize that it's tearing her apart from the inside. You should hear her cry in her sleep."

"She cries in her sleep?" Tohsaka was visibly surprised. Ayako gasped as she realized what she just said.

"I shouldn't have said that." She berated herself. "Look Tohsaka, can I count on your discretion? Please!?"

Tohsaka sighed heavily. Because Ayako was asking it like this, Tohsaka felt guilty about it. "Of course." She promised.

Ayako smiled and grabbed Tohsaka's shoulders. "Thanks Tohsaka. I'm glad that I can count on you. We can continue this conversation another time if you want. Classes will commence in fifteen minutes."

"That won't be necessary. I said all I wanted to for now. See you later Mitsuzuri-san." Tohsaka brushed through her hair again and left while Ayako returned to the club.

Meanwhile at Fujuki church. Gil entered the back of the church and went into the lounge where Kirei was reading a book. Kirei looked up on hearing him enter and greeted him. "Back already, Gil-kun? How unusual. Did something happen?"

"No, nothing. At least not yet." Gil replied. "There was a homunculus near the bus stop where Kouta usually boards the bus. And a strong one at that."

"You think that it belongs to one of the visitors from Arthur's time." Kirei deduced.

Gil's eyes narrowed and a mist started to whirl around him, removing him from view. When the smoke cleared there stood an adult Gil, dressed in high quality clothes. His demeanor had also changed radically. The cheerful, amiable boy had made place for a haughty, arrogant king. "I am sure of it. That meat doll was too powerful for it to be a regular one of this age." He said as he sat himself down in front of Kirei. "And it was up to something. I am certain that he is looking for people to abduct and it would seem that he is aiming for children."

Kirei frowned. "Most troublesome. If people would start disappearing the Church and Association would catch wind from what is happening here. We should inform Mordred of the antics of her thugs." Kirei proposed.

Gilgamesh stood up and took a wine bottle from the shelves. "There is no need to do so just yet. I shall keep an eye on those little mongrels."

Kirei raised his brows a little from surprise. "That's surprising. I didn't think you would bother yourself over the safety of others."

Gilgamesh smiled. "I have taken a liking to those little rascals, as such I shall not let any harm come to them."

"As you wish. King of Heroes." Kirei responded.

At noon, Tohsaka went to the roof. Shirou was already waiting for her. He looked at her when she arrived. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Straight to business? Very well. I wanted to ask you how things were going with Arturia and the others." Tohsaka crossed her arms. "Having King Arthur and his knights visit our time is no laughing matter. It would be best to have them return to their own time as fast as possible. So I wanted to ask you how far they have gotten in ...convincing Mordred to return. I talked with Mitsuzuri-san and she told me that she had met Arturia already."

"Could be. She had a tour of the school yesterday. They probably met then." Shirou recalled. "Didn't you see her back then?"

"No, I had to returned home early. I had to cover up some portals." She explained. "At any rate, it seems that Mitsuzuri-san won't help us get a hold of Mordred. She even admitted that she would like to help her overcome her... family-issues."

"Looks like she is really taken in by Mordred." Shirou responded. "She has always been a compassionate person."

"No kidding. Do you think that it would cause problems for her?" She inquired.

"No. Mordred has her issues, but she is still a knight and a good person. She won't allow innocents to be harmed." Shirou was convinced of this. Tohsaka looked at him with wonder for a moment, but then gave a confirming nod.

"I believe you. Now, back to Arturia and co. How are they holding up? Have they caused or encountered any problems?" Her expression became a bit grumpy. "Especially that Merlin."

"No, they haven't. And Kay shares your concern as he has been keeping an eye on Merlin every moment he can spare." Shirou chuckled. "Aside from that they have been exploring the city, so far without incident." He frowned slightly. "But it seems that Fuji-nee has developed an interest in Bedivere."

Tohsaka looked at him expressionless. "Is that so surprising?"

Shirou didn't understand what she said. "This is that crazy Tiger we are talking about. That Tomboy, without any feminine attractiveness. Besides, I don't think those two go well together."

"She is more feminine than you realize, Shirou." Tohsaka sighed, before a mischievous smile appeared on her lips. "But why not? From what I could tell, Bedivere seemed a mature and reliable man. He could perfectly complement Fujimura-sensei's childish and energetic personality."

"Do you really think so?" Shirou felt somehow uncomfortable by the idea. "Even if you are right, there is still the issue of the Taiga family." Tohsaka looked at him questioningly. "Her grandfather is head of a yakuza-family. Each time someone approached her with the intention to start a relationship, the members would beat up that person. You can go and ask Reikan-san. That is Issei's older brother, if you were wondering."

"I see. But in this instance, I think that you are more worried about the Fujimura-members." She deduced.

"Yeah. The Fujimura-members aren't murderers, so they do most of their fighting with their fists. But against those guys..." He shook his head. "Well, that is all there is to say about it."

Tohsaka brushed her hair again. "Thank you, Shirou. I will pay you all a visit some other day. I think that I will go and meet Mordred after school."

"You are going to meet her?"

"Yes. At Mitsuzuri's place." Tohsaka revealed. "I want to get a better picture of what she is like and such."

"I warn you in advance. She is quite haughty and prideful." Shirou warned her. "And she doesn't want to be called 'girl'"

"Thanks for telling me. Now that would conclude our conversation. It's almost time to return to classes." She smiled. "See you later." She turned around and left.

"Until later." Shirou responded, watching her leave. He looked at the sky and sighed.

When he returned that evening, he went straight to the shed. He still had to work on Raiga's bike. However, the sound of clashing shinai reached his ear. Having his curiosity piqued, he decided to check who was sparing. When he looked inside, he witnessed Bedivere and Taiga sparing. Arturia was sitting at the edge drinking some tea as she watched. Taiga was sweating hard, while Bedivere was still going strong.

"Good strike, Fujimura. Your technique is excellent." Bedivere praised her.

"Thanks, Bedi. You are still far stronger than me, but I will catch up to you." She declared with determination showing all over her face. Taiga lowered her shinai and swept away the sweat from her brow. "This is enough for now. I'm beat."

"You put a lot of energy in this sparing match, so it's no wonder." Bedivere put away his shinai.

"Indeed. Well fought, Taiga. You certainly have great talent with the sword." Arturia walked up to her. "You would certainly have made a fine knight." She said with a dead certain face.

Taiga started laughing, slightly embarrassed. "Thanks for your praise, but a knight is a bit..." She saw Shirou standing in the door. "Ah, Shirou. How long have you been there?"

"Not long. Just long enough to see the end of your match." Shirou said with a smile. "You certainly enjoyed yourself."

"Haha! You bet I did. It's been along time since I had this much fun. Bedi's style is rather defensive, but his defense is impenetrable." She nodded.

_Since when did she started calling him Bedi? _Shirou wondered.

"Well, I am going to take a bath. See you at diner." She waved and left the dojo.

"Hmm. I will be taking a bat after dinner." Arturia stated. "It's been a couple of days. With all the excitement..."

"Feel free to do so." Shirou said. "Say, Bedivere. Do you like sparing with Fuji-nee?"

Bedivere smiled slightly. "She is very energetic and good with the sword. Japanese sword play is quite different from our European style. It's all very refreshing."

"Hmmm. Glad that you enjoy yourself. Her liveliness sure makes up for her lack of feminine charms anyway." Shirou remarked.

"You think she lacks in feminine charms?" Bedivere asked incredulously.

"Sorry to say this Shirou, but you are sourly mistaken." Arturia countered. "Certainly Taiga is tomboyish, but she has plenty of feminine charm. I would say that you two are just too close for you to notice."

"You think so? Well, whatever. I will be working on Raiga's bike for a while, until everybody has returned." Shirou explained. "So find something to do before then, okay."

"We will, Shirou. I'll be looking forward to your cooking as always." Arturia's mouth almost started watering as she looked up with a dreamy look in her eyes. "One more thing. I don't believe you have trained for a while, right? Perhaps you could participate with us, the next time we train."

"That's a great idea, my king." Bedivere agreed. "I mean Arturia. The more the merrier."

"You're right. I haven't been practicing the last couple of days, at least not with the sword." He reflected. "Alright then. I will join in next time. See you later." Shirou left for the shed. As he walked across the yard, he could hear how Bedivere and Arturia started to spar with each other.

It was half past six as Tohsaka was walking towards Ayako's house. As she walked, she thought about how she would deal with Mordred. Suddenly she stopped. Coming from the opposite direction, a girl who looked exactly like Arturia was walking in her direction.

So_ that is Mordred._ Tohsaka deduced. She sped up her pace slightly as she approached her. At this point Mordred had noticed her and had stopped, looking at her with suspicion. She put down a long leather package and rested her hand on top of it. Tohsaka reckoned that that package would most likely contain Clarent. She stopped a couple of meters in front of her.

"Who are you Magus?" She asked aggressively.

"Good evening, Mordred. My name is Tohsaka Rin. I am the Magus who oversees this city." Tohsaka introduced herself. "Just out of curiosity, how did you know that I was a Magus?"

Mordred sniffed. "You have a similar smell like my mother, albeit a lot more cleaner. What do you want from me?"

"Let me get right to the point." Tohsaka began. "Correct me if I am wrong, but you want to obtain the Grail in order to become king."

Mordred looked at her silently. "Let's say that I do, then what?"

Tohsaka frowned. "If you do that, it will change history itself. Which means that it will be detrimental for the present. In which case, I will be forced to use what every means I have at my disposal to stop you."

"Ohhh. Do you think that you can beat me? I would like to see you try." A predatory grin appeared on her face.

"There are no absolutes, Mordred." Tohsaka retorted calmly, to which Mordred's eyes narrowed. "But if at all possible, I would like to settle this diplomatically. And you don't seem all that unreasonable. Besides, since you have an important part to play in history, I can't go all out against you, because of the off-chance that something bad could happen to you."

Mordred looked at her haughty. "That wouldn't make for a good fight, I agree. Even though it wouldn't have mattered either way. Anyway, we might be able to come to an agreement. But it won't involve me giving up my search for the Grail." Her expression became more collected. "Since there are still three months or so to go before the start of the ritual, I plan to keep a low profile. And thus try to limit the number of people to interfere with my quest. So I will let you in on something, just to ease your suspicions." Tohsaka looked at her in mild confusion.

"I will ask for you discretion though. Nobody needs to know about this." She inhaled end exhaled slowly. "My wish won't be as severe as you believe it will be."

"What do you mean by that?" Tohsaka was puzzled, staring at Mordred suspiciously.

"That is all you are getting from me." Mordred said with a tone that indicated that this conversation was over. She picked up her bundle and passed Tohsaka.

"You won't involve others, I hope." Tohsaka asked sharply as Mordred passed her.

"No. I won't allow innocents to get in harms way." Mordred declared resolute.

"I will hold you to it. Mitsuzuri is a dear friend of mine. If anything happens to her, I will make you regret it." She walked away. Mordred looked over her shoulders as Tohsaka left, before shrugging her shoulders and going inside.


	23. Chapter 22

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 22: The Golden Knight

Several days passed. As Mordred was washing her face, she was considering when she would rejoin her group. It's about time she did. After washing herself, she went downstairs where she bumped into Ayumi.

"Good morning, Mordred. Are you going into town again, today?" She asked.

"Ah, indeed. However, this will probably the last day I will spend at your house, miss Ayumi." Mordred declared. "I have stayed at your house long enough and I think it's about time to join the rest of my group."

"I see. A shame really. I was so happy that you enjoyed my cooking. Your rather sizable appetite motivates me greatly." Ayumi replied happily. Enjoy your day then, and know that you are always welcome here." She returned to the kitchen. Mordred smiled. She appreciated Ayumi's words. Ayako descended from the stairs.

"Ah, Mordred. You're sure an early riser." She grinned before turning serious. "Did you encounter Arturia or the others these past few days?"

"No, luckily not." Mordred did her utmost to avoid them. Yesterday, she had almost bumped into Gawain as she was exploring the city. "It's not yet time to confront them."

Ayako nodded. "Take your time. I am sure that you will be ready to face them when you're ready." Mordred smirked uncharacteristically awkward. She reckoned that Ayako was thinking that she would talk things out with her father. Which was completely different from what she reckoned how this would end. "I heard you speaking with my mother by the way. You said that you'll be leaving our house tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I will go to where my comrades are. My comrades like their privacy, so visiting will be somewhat difficult for you." Mordred explained. Ayako looked at her curiously.

"But it won't be a problem if you visit me instead, I take it?" She laughed. "Whatever you do, feel free to drop by. We will go and do something fun together. Speaking of which, seeing as it is Friday, do you have anything planned for this evening?" Mordred shook her head.

"There is a new movie playing in the theater, so if you want..." Ayako proposed. Mordred thought it over for a moment.

"Sure. I have never been to a movie before." Mordred grinned.

"Then we shall fix that soon." Ayako laughed. "We shall meet at the entrance of the Verde, at six PM."

"I'll be there." She looked at her new watch. She came across it yesterday, while passing through Mount Miyami. It was not what something which you would call expensive, but she liked the dragon motive which was incorporated in it's design.

"Why don't you buy a cell-phone as well? That way we can contact each other whenever we want." Ayako proposed.

"Sure. Ehhh... Cell-phones are those portable telephones right?" Mordred wanted to confirm.

Ayako started laughing. "Indeed. Sheesh. I never thought that I would meet a person who is even worse with technology then Tohsaka. What kind of environment did you two grew up in?"

_What you people call medieval Europe._ Mordred frowned. "Is it that funny?"

"Sorry, I couldn't help it." Ayako apologized. She looked at her cell-phone. "Aye! Sorry Mordred, but I have to go or I'll be late." She grabbed her bag and rushed to the door and put on her shoes. "I see you tonight." Mordred gave her the thumbs up as Ayako left.

"Lets explore the city some more." Mordred went upstairs and grabbed her sword, before leaving the house. While walking through the city, she passed the grade school. "Aha, this must be where Yukika's younger brother studies." She had encountered Yukika a couple of days before, during which they had a rather nice conversation. Yukika had talked about her younger brother and where he studied. That's how she knew about this place. She stopped for a moment and looked at the school building from across the street. You could clearly see that this is where younger children did their studies, as evidenced by the colorful drawings and artworks which were visible on the lower floors.

Suddenly she spotted something from the corner of her eye. It was a young man with short green hair. Mordred immediately identified him as one of Esdelot's homunculi. He sensed that he had been spotted and moved around the corner. Mordred rushed after him, but he had already disappeared. "Tssst. What is that guy planning?" Mordred got a bad feeling about this. Her instinct went off like crazy. "I will ask him when I join them at the castle. If necessary I'll force him to stop."

At the Emiya-residence, Shirou just departed for school. "See you tonight. I made some obento's for all of you. Feel free to eat it."

"Thank you, Shirou. We will most certainly enjoy the taste." Arturia responded who was seeing him off. Shirou was certain that she was already eating it in her mind.

"I'm sure you will. Until later." Shirou waved as he left. After Shirou was gone from sight, she returned to the living room. There was everybody seated around the table. Merlin wanted to inform them of his initial findings. Arturia sat down and looked at Merlin with a serious face. "So, let's hear it Merlin. What have you found?"

"My, my. How rushed." Merlin chuckled. "Well, first thing first. I have found four locations to which this Grail might be summoned."

"Ohhh! That's good news indeed." Kay clasped his hands together. "Where are the locations?"

"The first location is the house of that girl Tohsaka Rin." Merlin continued. "The second one is in the middle of that park in the new town. But I am sure that it won't be summoned there this time."

"How so?" Gawain inquired.

"Because that's the place where it was summoned last time...and it didn't end well." Merlin explained. "The spirits told me."

"It didn't end well? Could you elaborate on that please?" Arthuria urged Merlin.

"From what I learned, it seems that the Grail, that is to say it's physical body, was destroyed." Merlin explained seriously. "Which in turn led to a massive fire which destroyed part of the city." As Merlin explained this, Arturia suddenly got a vivid image of a young boy who walked through a blazing inferno. The same boy she had seen in her dream. She shook her head.

"Is there something wrong my King?" Gawain asked when he saw that. Everybody was looking at her.

"No, it was nothing. However, what Merlin is saying may be fortunate. Because if the physical body is destroyed, Mordred can't get her hands on it. Right, Merlin?" She looked at him.

Merlin shook his head. "Not necessarily. I am convinced that the Grail requires a vessel to be brought forth. As such, it is still possible for Mordred to obtain the Grail if a suitable vessel presents itself. And seeing as there will be another War, one will be present."

"That's true. I got my hopes up to soon." Arturia shook her head. "And the other two places?"

"That would be the Temple and the Shinto Church. However, I have something to tell you in regards to the later one." Merlin put the tips of his fingers together. "It seems there is a powerful entity present at the Church. One that could prove very dangerous."

"What kind of entity?" Kay asked tensely. "And how powerful is it?" Everybody looked at Merlin tensely.

"I haven't seen him myself, but his aura shone golden." Merlin explained excited.

"So, the entity is a man?" Gawain stated.

"Yes. And for how powerful he is...I would dare say that he could take on the entire Round Table."

"Are you joking!? Do you even hear what you are saying!?" Gawain exclaimed in disbelieve. The others were just as baffled.

"Are you certain about this, Merlin?" Arturia urged. Merlin gave a firm nod. There was no trace of mischief to be felt. He was dead serious. Arturia frowned. "That could be most troublesome. Do you think we can reason with him? If he is as powerful as you claim, then I would at least make sure there is no animosity between us."

"That would indeed be preferable." Bedivere sighed.

"You could try. But I got the feeling that this man will do as he pleases. He will do whatever he wants, whenever he wants and wherever he wants. That's what I felt from his aura. And he won't let others command him." Merlin warned her.

"A man who does whatever whim comes up in him, it seems. Most troublesome indeed." Bedivere surmised. Merlin gave an agreeing nod.

"Indeed. I agree with Arturia ithat we should try and negotiate with him, or at least come to an understanding of who we are dealing with." Kay advised. "But we should take precautions. We should either chose a location somewhere public. Where he can't, and hopefully won't, start a fight. Or a secluded location which gives us a tactical advantage and in case this would be necessary, an escape route or two."

"As expected from you, Kay. You have thought this through already." Gawain complimented him. "Your mind has always been sharper then your sword."

"But we all knew that from the beginning, did we not?" Kay smirked. Everybody smiled in agreement. "Oh, that reminds me. Your birthday is coming up. isn't it sister?"

"Ah, that's right. But that shouldn't distract us from our quest." Arturia said with her usual emotionless.

"According to that logic, we shouldn't be doing sightseeing either. As that is also a form of distraction." Kay shot back. "Like enjoying all those de-li-cious food types."

Arturia's hair strand jolted straight up like an antenna. And Kay smirked. Everybody was by now familiar with their king's recently awakened gourmet-spirit. Arturia frowned a bit and folded her hands together. "If you put it that way... But you don't need to throw a big party. Just something simple will do. This is not Camelot after all."

"Of course, my dear sister." Kay agreed, with a big grin on his lips. "We should tell Shirou about this as well. I am sure that he will prepare a great meal for you." Arturia's hair strand jumped up again.

The day went by fairly quick. Shirou decided to go home a little earlier today, since he didn't had to work at Copenhagen and because there was nothing to fix at school today. Sakura walked besides him. "Say, senpai. I was thinking of making some roast tonight. What do you think?"

"Hmm. Sounds good. It's been quite a while since we made something like that. We will have to stop by the grocery store." Shirou already began to think of how to make it. However they ran into something unexpected when they were about to cross the intersection. "Oh, this can't be good." Shirou muttered.

At the intersection stood none other then Mordred and Mitsuzuri. Confronting them was Arturia and Bedivere.

"Oh, my." Sakura covered her mouth. Shirou rushed over with Sakura.

"Oh, look. If it isn't Shirou." Mordred brandished her bundle. Arturia and Bedivere were carrying their wrapped swords too. "How have you been, Shirou?"

"Shirou, Sakura. You're early today." Arturia remarked.

"Yeah. I felt like returning home early today. Hello, Mitsuzuri-san. Fancy meeting you here. You too, Mordred." Shirou tried to sound calm, but the atmosphere was buzzing with tension.

"Yeah. Looks like they finally bumped into each other." Mitsuzuri remarked. "Guess it had to happen sooner or later." Her eyes darted nervously between Arturia and Mordred, who had their eyes locked on each other.

"So, Mordred. Do you have anything to say?" Arturia spoke with her typical indifference. "If you have something to say, I would like to hear it. I want to end this, preferably peacefully, and return home."

Mordred scowled. "There is no point in telling you anything at this point. No matter what, I will see this through to the end."

"Easy, Mordred. There is no reason to get agitated." Mitsuzuri tried to calm her, before looking at Arturia. "I don't think it's time yet for you two face each other, seeing as how strongly Mordred feels right now." Mordred casted a side wise glance at her. Gratitude reflected in her eyes.

"Mitsuzuri-san, I would like to ask you not to interfere." Arturia responded firmly. "This is a private matter."

"No need to be so hasty, though." Shirou jumped in, causing Arturia to look at him incredulously. "These kind of problems need time to be resolved, after all." Mordred was pleasantly surprised. Mitsuzuri, Sakura and Bedivere seemed to feel relieved.

"Shirou, may I ask what you are trying to do?" Arturia inquired.

"You see..." Shirou stopped suddenly and looked at something in the distance. "Is that Yukika-san?" Everybody followed his gaze, only to see Yukika running towards them. Something seemed wrong. Her face looked pale. She skidded to a halt, gasping for breath.

"Yukika, what's wrong?" Mitsuzuri grabbed her shoulders. It was obvious that Yukika was panicking.

Yukika tried to catch her breath. "Let her get some air first." Mordred urged her. "She is totally exhausted."

"Have...yhhhou seehhhn...the bus?" Yukika panted hurriedly.

"Calm down for a moment. What bus? Please regain your breath and tell us what is wrong." Bedivere spoke gently.

Yukika took a minute to catch her breath. "Kouta's school bus is missing."

"Kouta's school bus?" Arturia repeated.

"That's her little brother." Mordred informed her.

"I went to pick up my little brother at the usual bus stop, but the bus never showed up." Yukika continued panicking, clasping her hands together. "When I called them, they couldn't provide me with any answers."

"You're saying that the entire bus disappeared?" Sakura was shocked.

"Yes, with Kouta and everybody else. I only know this because Kane got a call from her dad." Yukika continued. "Have you seen anything?" She looked at them pleading.

"I am sorry, but we haven't seen anything." Arturia informed her regretfully. Bedivere too, nodded to confirm it. Shirou and Sakura looked at her apologetic.

"I haven't seen anything either." Mitsuzuri admitted. "How can an entire bus suddenly disappear?" At those words Mordred started thinking, or more accurately her instinct kicked in. A bus full of children, Esdelot's Homunculus at the school. She hadn't any proof, but judging from what she knew of Esdelot... She cursed him silently.

"No, I haven't seen anything." Yukika slumped her head. "But I will help you search for him." Yukika's hearth jumped.

"Really? But the city is so big. Will it even matter?" Yukika had her doubts and rightfully so.

"It is the duty of a knight to help the innocent." Mordred proclaimed proudly and she looked at Arturia. "Even if the city is big, that is no reason for us not to try. Who knows. We might get lucky."

A confident smile appeared on Arturia's and Bedivere's lips. "Indeed. We shall continue this another time, Mordred. This takes priority."

"Then I will too." Shirou agreed. This is what a Hero of Justice is about. Saving people. "We should split up. That way we can cover more ground."

"Everyone..." Tears welled up in Yukika's eyes and a hopeful smile appeared on her face.

"Don't worry, Yukika. Well find them." Mitsuzuri was getting fired up as well. Sakura gave her a reassuring look.

"Bedivere! Go to Shirou's house and warn Merlin. His skills could aid us greatly. Kay and Gawain are patrolling the city somewhere, so let him inform Kay and Gawain as well." Arturia commanded.

"Immediately." Bedivere saluted one more time before he sped off to the horizon. Yukika, Sakura and Mitsuzuri were shocked at his speed.

"Then I will go to the foreigners district. I think Tohsaka could help us, too." Shirou proposed.

"Good idea, Shirou." Arturia agreed. "Then I will start searching around the bridge. It is the only crossing, so it has a fair chance for the bus to pass through.

"Then I will go with senpai." Sakura declared.

"I will accompany Yukika. She is completely exhausted." Mitsuzuri supported Yukika.

"And I will patrol the outgoing roads south of the city. Perhaps the bus hasn't left the city yet." Mordred swung her sword over her shoulder.

"Very well." Arturia replied. "Now let us hurry. Time is of the essence." Arturia rushed off and the others split up as well.

When Mordred felt that there was nobody watching, she used her Prana burst and raced towards the castle. If Esdelot was responsible for this, then there will be hell to pay.

Classes were over and Kouta hurried to the bus stop. "Hey, Kouta. Are you going to the park later on?" one of his friends asked.

"Maybe. I wanted to go and find Gil first." Kouta replied. "He told me, that I could find him at the church. He hangs around there often."

"That's weird. Is his father that priest? I have seen him before." His friend shivered. "He creeps me out."

"I know what you mean. See you later." Kouta rushed inside the bus and sat himself down on the third row. As soon as everybody was aboard the bus departed. "So, how was your day?" Kouta asked his schoolmate next to him.

"Not good. I failed that spellings test." He mumbled. "Dad isn't going to be happy."

"Onee-san also gets disappointed whenever I fail a test."

"Onee-san? What about... Who is that green haired man?" The boy stared at the front of the bus. When Kouta looked to the front, he saw him. A young man with green hair. He gave of an unsettling feeling.

"Who are you!?" The bus driver exclaimed. His eyes went wide. He was sure as hell, that he hadn't seen him at the bus stop. The man had appeared from nowhere.

"There is another stranger here!" A startled girl yelled from the back. At the back of the bus stood another green haired person.

"I ask again! who are you people!?" The panicking driver was about to stop when the green haired man made a gesture.

"Just keep driving. You only need to drive." The man said with a soft voice.

"I just need to drive." The driver repeated. With a blank stare he kept on driving.

"What did you do?" Kouta panicked.

"Why don't you all go to sleep?" The man said. He and his comrade whispered a spell and the children fell asleep.

At that time a magus made his way through the streets. A representative of the Magus Association. He was sent here to perform a surprise inspection on the portals. Suddenly, he felt the use of fairly potent thaumaturgy pass by. He stopped. His guts told him there was something wrong, something that broke the laws of the Association. "Someone dares to break the rules of the Association?"

He immediately reinforced his body. Using suggestion magic to hide from the eyes of normal people, he immediately gave chase. The source moved a surprising speed. Obviously they made use of a vehicle or used magic to move. They would probably taken into account that someone skilled in Magecraft could detect them. So he made use of one of his greatest thaumaturgies. Namely to completely erase his presence. That's why he was so often sent to hunt heretics.

The bus made its way to the outskirts. Instead of following the main road out of the city, they turned down a dirt road leading into the forest. Inside the forest they would meet up with the other homunculi. Together they would transport the children to the castle for Esdelot's experiments. Esdelot had hidden part of the basement with a bounded field which blocked both sight, sound and even smell. Another field would hide that part of the basement with an illusionary wall. Only the homunculi and Esdelot can pass through it. And thanks to suggestion magic, they can smuggle the children right in without anyone noticing.

Eventually the bus stopped. In front of it stood six other homunculi. Three female and three other males. The two exited the bus and greeted their comrades. "Everything has gone well."

"Good. Then let's start transporting them to the master." One of the woman answered. "Prepare to erase the bus and it's driver. We must leave no trace."

"Naturally."

After unloading about half the children, they suddenly stopped. They had felt a presence of someone approaching on them. It seemed that the presence had realized that it was discovered, but continued to move forward.

Two of the men and one of the women rushed of in the direction of the presence. After a short while the presence stopped. They moved through the bush and entered a small clearing.

"Show yourself inferior being and your death shall be swift, if our master wants it." One of the men spoke out.

"You are quite bold...for a lowly meat-doll." A man replied. His voice was filled with dignity, but the undertone was one of disgust. And the man showed himself. He wore an exquisite golden armor... and not just his armor, but his entire being could only be described as golden. The look his red eyes gave, was one that showed that this person viewed himself as superior to everyone. The homunculi had believed that they could handle him when they caught him. But now he stood in front of them, they realized that they won't be walking away alive.

"Who are you knight?" The female asked cautiously.

The man frowned. His eyes gleamed with anger and disgust. "You...You dare lower me to the level of a mere knight." A wave of killing intent swept over the homunculi, causing them to shiver. "You couldn't even recognize me as for who I truly was... There is no doubt that your ignorance has earned you a swift death."

Suddenly golden ripples distorted the air next to the man. Taken by surprise the three homunculi scattered. Unfortunately, they were not fast enough. A giant, flaming lance appeared from the ripples and was launched with tremendous speed. It hit the man in the middle. The homunculus was literally blown apart and reduced to ashes. The earth shook as the spear pierced the earth. The female was blasted through the air, burnt by the flames. The other male managed to escape the blaze. But that was all the luck he was alloted. For the next moment he was cut in two by a large axe. That took less then two seconds.

"It didn't even alleviate my boredom for even a moment." The man scoffed.

The other homunculi had felt the demise of their comrades. What shocked them the most was that they were defeated in mere moments. Realizing that whatever had killed them, would not allow them to leave, they rushed to confront it. They knew they would be killed, but they had to affirm who or what had killed them. Only one of them would need to survive long enough to inform their master. They froze solid when they encountered the scene of their slain brethren. However, the golden knight in front of them demanded all of their attention.

"Hooo... Brave of you to come and confront me. If you meat-dolls even can experience bravery." The knight mocked them. While the man spoke, he was looking mainly at the woman in their center. He knew that she was their leader.

"Who are you, knig..." The male was silenced by the female who stepped forward.

"You are no knight, are you." It was more a statement then a question. "No, you're not. You are a king."

"Hahaha! I commend you for realizing that, meat-doll. You have more wits than the rest of those mutts." Even as he praised her, he still looked down on her.

"What is it that you want? Have we crossed you in any way? Or are you just here for the children?" She inquired. "Judging from you behavior, I find that unlikely."

"Yes, you did cross me... when you laid your hands on those children." His glare pierced through them. "I have taken a liking to these little mongrels. And someone who tries to harm my subjects without my consent is a violator of the Law." He snapped his fingers and the air around him starts to distort as powerful weapons appeared. The homunculi again scattered, trying to assault him from different sides at once, while one ran off to inform their master. But that was meaningless. The weapons tracked their movements with no effort. The two males who tried to attack him from behind were cut to pieces by a golden halberd and a glass sword. The female on the right tried to defend herself with a barrier, but the red spear smashed through it, like it wasn't there, nailing her on a rock, shattering it in the process.

The homunculus who attacked from above threw a purple fireball at him, but it was nullified by a barrier. The next moment a greatsword impaled him. The leader launched a forward assault, with her limbs reinforced and emitting lightning. She couldn't dodged the red sword fired at her completely. It ripped off her left arm and disappeared into the bushes where the death-cry of the last male was heard.

Gritting her teeth, she lashed out with a lightning-empowered punch. She was stopped dead in her tracks, as several golden spears had appeared around her and impaled her before the punch connected. "You are not allowed to touch me." The man said aloof. The next moment he cut of her head with a golden short sword. After that, the weapons vanished again, as if they were never there.

The man walked towards the bus. His eyes glanced sideways, at the hiding Magus who had witnessed it all. The Magus turned around and made himself scarce. Gilgamesh let him.

Mordred was at the edge of the town. If Esdelot was indeed behind this kidnapping, then the children would logically be at the castle. So the last thing Mordred expected was to encounter the bus, with all of the passengers and the driver in a deep sleep, to be parked on the side of the road at the edge of town. The first thing she did was examine the bus interior. It was pure chance that she stumbled on it. "So it was you, Esdelot." Mordred grumbled as she picked up the green hair strand lying on the ground. Anyway, let's alert the others." Mordred sought out a telephone boot and called Ayako on her cellphone. She had paid attention to other people using telephones.

"Hey, Ayako."

"Ah, Mordred. Did you find anything?"

"Yeah. You can tell Yukika and the others that I found the bus. It's parked on the side of the road, leading out of the city."

"Really? That's great. Did you hear that Yukika-san. The bus has been found." Ayako informed Yukika with elation." Mordred could hear her Yukika cry from joy in the background. "Is everybody alright on that bus? Is Kouta alright?"

"As far as I can tell they just seem to be asleep." Mordred responded. "Look, I am going to scout around a bit, OK. I will tell you the exact location of the bus."

A while later, Mordred was running full speed towards the castle. Her blood was a boil. Esdelot will have a lot of explaining to do.

"Sir Mordred has returned!" One of the guards shouted when they saw her approach. Giraud excited the castle the next moment.

"Sir Mordred?" He immediately knew that there was something amiss, which was confirmed when he was able to discern the enraged look on her face. Mordred skidded to a halt in front of him. "What's wron..."

"Where is he!?" Mordred cut him off. "Where IS ESDELOT!?" More men, including Beves and Dunstan came out when they heard her shouting.

"Please, calm down Sir Mordred." Giraud tried to calm her. "He is in his workshop." Mordred pushed passed him stomping.

"What happened?" Dunstan asked, more curious than alarmed. He and Giruad followed her, while the others wisely kept their distance.

"That bastard tried to kidnap a bunch of children." Mordred growled.

"What!?" Giraud responded shocked. "No doubt to experiment on. Darn it. With his magic we would not even have noticed him smuggling them inside. I take it the attempt was thwarted."

"Yes. I found them just outside the city for some reason." Mordred rushed down the stairs. When they arrived at the door, she kicked it in. The door flew through the room and crashed against the opposite wall. Esdelot looked at her with a tense expression, trying to keep his composure.

"Sir Mordred. Is there a pr..." Mordred was upon him in an instant grabbing a fistful of his robe, lifting him from the ground and smashing him on a nearby table.

"Don't play dumb. I know it was you." Mordred glared daggers at him.

"I don't kn..." Mordred threw him against the wall. Or at least that was the intention. Instead he passed straight through.

"A bounded field?" Mordred murmured. She took out Clarent. The blade started to glow and she stabbed it through the wall and released the energy. Clarent's power nullified the field, revealing the hidden room. She let go of him and started to examine the equipment.

A few more homunculi, who had been buzzy, looked on tensely, preparing to aid their master at a moments notice. Giraud's and Dunstan's hands move slowly to their weapons. Mordred paid no head to it all. Her attention was directed at the tools that Esdelot had prepared.

Vats with strangely colored liquid. A table with shackles, along with various operating tools. Containers filled with preservation fluids. It made her shiver when she thought about what fate those children would have befallen had Esdelot gotten his hands on them. Mordred turned her gaze back to Esdelot, who was now hyperventilating. He glared at her, admitting that there was no point in trying to deny it. "Fine. I did it, but as you can see I failed in abducting them."

"Indeed." Mordred said coldly. "Your actions could have lead to the discovery of our hideout. You endangered our quest. I should behead you for what you were trying to do with those children." She slowly walked towards him. "Listen carefully, because I only say this once. The only reason that you are still alive right now, is because those kids got saved. If you EVER try that again, I will utterly destroy you! You would do well to remember that my mother won't be there to protect you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do." Esdelot growled.

"Good." Mordred turned her back on him and walked towards the door.

"Excuse me, Sir Mordred." Dunstan stopped her. "I think that we are forgetting something."

"What would that be?" Mordred looked at him.

"Someone saved those children. And I have kept count of the number of homunculi which Esdelot has created. It is obvious that he sent them to fetch those children."

Mordred understood where he was going. "Which begs the question, who saved them and where are those homunculi?" She looked at Esdelot again.

"They were killed. I felt their lives being extinguished." He admitted. "I wanted to have their remains retrieved..."

"We will go and see for our selves. And you are coming with us." Mordred commanded.

"I will gather some of our men." Giraud rushed up the stairs. Not long after, they were on their way. Mordred forced Esdelot to show them the way. Dunstan, Giraud and Beves along with some others followed them.

"It's just up ahead." Esdelot pointed beyond the bushes. They were visibly baffled when they witnessed the remains of the fight which had taken place here. No, massacre was more accurate. It was obvious that the homunculi had been unable to put up a fight.

She walked towards the scorched crater in the clearing. She could see burned body parts scattered about. There was also the charred corpse of a female homunculi.

"This one was cloven in two. From the looks of it, it was a heavy weapon." Dunstan examined one of the dead males. "I am certain that it must have been a battle-axe. Though a heavy sword or halberd might also be a possibility."

The same could be said about these two." Dunstan stood over two the dead males. "However, one seems to have been sliced by a heavy weapon, while the other clearly killed by a lighter weapon. Either their opponent carried multiple armaments, or there were more than one."

"I think there were more." Beves joined in. "This woman seemed to have been pierced by a spear. With enough force to shatter even this boulder. Their assailants were very powerful. Could it have been Knights of the round table?"

"That is a possibility." Giraud agreed, rubbing his chin. "But then they would probably tried to capture on of them for interrogation."

"It wasn't the knights." Mordred declared convinced.

Esdelot walked over to her. "How do you know that?"

"Firstly, the different kinds of weapons which were used. No Knight of the Round Table uses a halberd or axe. Secondly, this scorched crater. None of the knights would feel pressed to use their Phantasm on these guys. And lastly, this is too brutal for them. The weapons obviously were used with great force, which is very uncharacteristically for them."

"When you say it like that, it makes sense." Dunstan had to agree. He crossed his arms. "Hmmm. You said that there were eight, Esdelot. Yet, I only count seven."

"I think I can answer that, Boss." One of the bandits answered as he exited the bushes. "We found him a little further ahead. And it seems that he left a message before dying."

The bandit led the group to the last of the corpses. "There on that rock." He pointed towards a rock, next to the dead homunculus. The homunculus was pierced right through his abdomen. But it seemed that he had lived long enough to burn a message in the rock. Two words were engraved in the rock: Golden Knight.

"_Golden Knight?_ Sir Mordred, does that remind you of someone?" Dunstan asked.

"No. I know of no knight which matches that description." The message made her feel uncomfortable. Her instincts told her that whoever it was, was very powerful and would become a big problem at some point. "We need to be cautious and try to find out who this knight is." She declared.

Later that evening at Shirou's home. "See you tomorrow, Senpai." Sakura smiled.

"Be careful, Sakura." Shirou responded.

"Don't worry, Shirou. I will look after her. Besides, I asked grandfather for an escort." Taiga clapped her hands with a smile, before she sighed heavily. "It was a good thing those children were found."

"Yes! I have never seen Yukika-senpai seen so scared. Do they have a clue as to who was responsible?" Sakura asked.

"No. I heard from Hiruno-san's father that they have found no trace of the perpetrators. Also, it seems that neither the children, nor the bus driver have any recollections of what happened." Taiga's face showed pure worry. "Anyway, let's get going Sakura. The men are waiting."

"Yes, Fujimura-sensei. Good evening, Senpai." Sakura and Taiga exited the house and entered the van which was waiting outside. Shirou waved as the van drove off.

"Looks like all ended well." Bedivere remarked. "In the end we were unable to contribute much to the search."

"True, but it is the thought that counts." Kay reminded him. "The willingness to help is in and of itself the most important thing." Bedivere smiled and nodded in agreement.

"True words, Kay." Arturia agreed, before turning towards Merlin. "Did you manage to find something with your familiars?"

"Unfortunately not. However, I do suspect that man Esdelot." Merlin said grimly.

"Esdelot?" Gawain slowly put down his cup. Gawain had participated in the man-hunt. In fact, he was the one who found his lair. The sight of Esdelot's victims still made his stomach turn. "Are you sure?"

"I am. Esdelot escaped us, but I know that Morgan has ...persuaded him to join her." Although it would probably had been more like a threat.

"So he came here with Mordred. I never thought that she would stoop so low." Gawain said with disdain.

"No, I don't think so." Arturia defended her. "Mordred may be rebellious, but she is still a knight. It's more likely that my sister pushed Esdelot on to her. I am certain that she would never allow such a thing."

"I agree." Shirou said behind her. "She is a rebel, not a coldblooded murderer." Then Tohsaka appeared behind him. "Oh, she arrived here just now."

"Good evening, King Arthur and to the rest of you." Tohsaka greeted them as she sat down at the table.

"It's fine if you call me Arturia, Rin." Arthuria informed her.

"Oh, thank you. Anyway, I would like to discuss today's incident." Her tone was all business. "Was one of Mordred's men behind it?"

"You don't suspect Mordred herself?" Kay inquired.

"No. I have met with her once, but from what I felt from her I know that she isn't the type to do such a thing." Tohsaka brushed her hair. "Do you guys have an idea of who was behind it?"

"Yes. A magus named Esdelot." Merlin leaned towards her.

"A piece of scum of the worst kind. We once staged a manhunt for him. He has no conscious what so ever and his experiments... well, his victims would have been better of dead." Gawain said grimly.

"That is certainly a problem. We should double our efforts and send Mordred and her men back. At the very least we should neutralize this Esdelot." Tohsaka asserted. A deep frown appeared on her brow. "I dare say that we were lucky this time, but I doubt that would happen a second time."

"You're right, Rin. However, I am certain that Mordred will keep a tighter leash on him." Arturia was certain of this. "As I said before, she is a knight and will always uphold the ways of the knight. That includes protecting the weak and innocent."

"I believe so too." Shirou agreed. The others also agreed, as was evident from the look in their eyes. "She is too prideful for that."

Tohsaka looked at them with a hint of wonder. "If you are that convinced, I will take you on your word." She acknowledged. "Now then. There is one more thing I would like to discuss. I believe that by now, we can now all agree that, besides Mordred, the rest of her group probably isn't in the city."

"Correct. At least not in the most densely populated areas." Arturia affirmed. "Thus they should be somewhere in the edge of the city or the outskirts."

Meanwhile, in Clock Tower. "What do you think, Director?" The brown haired woman asked. "Homunculi kidnapping children and this Golden Knight?" Her name was Barthomeloi Lorelei. In the Association she holds the position of Vice Director, second only to the Director.

"Most disturbing indeed. We should take action immediately and find the Magus who attempted the kidnapping." The Director responded as they walked down the hall. "The same goes for that Golden Knight. We need to know who he is and what he wants. Going from the report, we can rule out that he isn't a normal existence. I have lived for more then 2000 years and I haven't heard or seen anyone that powerful since before the eleventh century."

"I will put together a team immediately. Just for investigation purposes two will do." She responded. "That reminds me. Mister Belfaban, didn't you mention a highly skilled bounty hunter?"

The old man next to her, looked at her. "Yes. Kairi Sisigou. A seventh generation Magus, extremely confident and highly skilled at what he does. He is a necromancer who has turned the bodies of magi and magical beasts into highly effective killing tools by... hhhhe... by accompanying his thaumaturgy with modern weapons." He disclosed reluctantly.

"So he is a heretic." Barthomeloi frowned.

"Indeed. But his methods have proven highly effective." Belfaban reassured her. "He is also in London at this very moment."

"Very well. Contact him immediately." The Director ordered. "So, who else could we send?" He stopped to think.

"Has there something happened, Director?" A voice called out behind them. As they turned around, they saw a young, brown haired man standing behind them. "I apologize, but I couldn't help but overhearing your conversation."

"Lord El-Melloi. How are you doing?" The Director asked casual.

"Fine, Director." El-Melloi responded. "But about my question..."

"That's enough El-Melloi." Barthomeloi said irritated. "This doesn't concern you."

The Director motioned her to be silent. "An incident has occurred in Fuyuki City, Japan. One of our members witnessed a group of homunculi abducting a bunch of children, most likely on orders of their master."

"So there is a Magus gone rogue." El-Melloi had a flash-back. The image of the children who had fallen victim to Caster would never leave him.

"Indeed. However the attempt was thwarted. By someone who our associate describes as a powerful, golden knight." The Director finished.

_Powerful, golden knight? That brings back memories. That almost sound like..._ Shock appeared on his face. _No, that is not possible._

"El-Melloi?" The Director narrowed his eyes. "It seems that you know something." Barthomeloi and Belfaban looked at him intensely.

"Director, did that golden knight have red eyes and golden hair? Did he kill those homunculi with dozens of magical weapons?" He asked nervously.

"How do you know that?" Barthomeloi was stunned.

"Yes, he did." The Director affirmed. "So you do know him."

"Yes. I have met him before. Ten years ago in that same city."

"The Holy Grail War." Belfaban said softly.

"Yes. He was summoned under the Archer-class. The Great King of Heroes, Gilgamesh." Everyone stared at him shocked. "Director, I have met him personally during the War. He spared my life."

"Ah, yes. You stole a relic from your predecessor and participated in the War, did you not?" The Director grinned amused. "Waver Velvet. Why did he spare you, if I may ask?"

"He respected Rider. Iskandar, the King of Conquerors. You know it's funny." El-Melloi smiled. "I participated in the War to prove myself after Kayneth ridiculed me. But I ended up as a subject of him. He ordered me to live, to tell his tale. I remained loyal to him and Gilgamesh respected that loyalty, so he spared me."

"So you believe yourself a loyal subject of Iskandar?" Belfaban laughed mockingly. He fell silent after an angry glare of the Director.

"That is not something to be mocked." He stated angrily, before turning back to El-Melloi. "It is settled. El-Melloi, since you know him, I will send you together with Sisigou."

"I have no problem with that. I will start preparing as soon as I explained things to Gray." El-Melloi declared.

"Very well. We will give you detailed instructions later this day." Barthomeloi informed him. El-Melloi nodded and left.

"This is going to be very interesting." The Director mused.


	24. Chapter 23

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 23: Sisigou and Velvet

The sun rose as Kirei was preparing for the morning ceremony. Sitting relaxed on a bench, while Gilgamesh leisurely watched as Kirei made his preparations. "So you let the man go? The Mage's Association will certainly send an investigation team now."

"That would be most interesting, wouldn't you think?" Gilgamesh responded.

"I would have appreciated it if you had warned me in advance." Although he, hypocritically, agreed with him. "I wonder who they might send. Once they discover that king Arthur and his knights are here, things will become quite hectic."

"That would be most entertaining." Gilgamesh grinned.

"It most certainly would. Let's enjoy it for as long as possible." Kirei agreed.

"So, Lord El-Melloi. I understand that you are acquainted with this Golden Knight." Waver casted a sideways glance at Sisigou. He didn't really liked the man. Sisigou was in very good shape, with muscles that wouldn't be out of place on a weightlifting championship. A scar decorated his cheek to tip of his chin. The stench of blood and gunpowder permeated the air around him. Many people felt intimidated by him. "What can you tell me about him? If it comes to blows, I would like to be prepared."

Waver sighed. Right now they were on an airplane heading for Japan. They would arrive there late in the afternoon. Seeing as it will take some time to reach their destination, he reckoned that he should get to know him better. Whispering, he quickly created a small bounded field to prevent others from listening in. "Yes, I do. He isn't really human you see. He is the king of Heroes, Gilgamesh."

"Gilgamesh? How is that possible? I thought the war ended in utter disaster, without any winner." Kairi voiced his surprise.

"I don't know. I will try to ask him when we meet him. And as for his combat abilities...You can forget about fighting him." Waver looked at him with meaningful eyes. "He will obliterate you with a hailstorm of Noble Phantasms. There is nobody in this age that can put so much as a scratch on him."

"That is most troublesome." Kairi started to ponder. If what Waver said was true, than his only options were to plan their escape or to try to take him down with a trap.

"Gilgamesh aside, what are our options regarding those homunculi?" Waver inquired. "From the reports, those homunculi are rather powerful."

"Correct. Which means that their master, or masters, is very skilled. Our first order of business would be to discover their hideout, identity and the extent of their capabilities." Kairi explained. "Based on that, I can formulate a plan of attack. We should also try to contact the city's overseer first."

"I believe the overseer's name is Tohsaka Rin. Her father was killed during the War and she became head of the family a couple of years ago when her mother died." Waver lined up the information. "Aside from the normal duties of an overseer, she is also responsible for keeping the Portals hidden from public."

"Ah, yes. Those portals appeared because of the destruction of the Grail, right?" Kairi remembered now. "If I recall correctly, they never really found out how that was happened. The Association and Church are willing to compensate whoever won the next War handsomely, if they used the Grail to close those portals. On that note, if the perpetrator is a Magus who passed through the portals..."

"Then our problems would become several times more difficult. If he indeed came from the past, then he would be in a position to alter the course of history with the knowledge he would gain in this age." Waver shuddered at the thought. "Think about it. There is the possibility that the Association may never exist... that we may never be born."

"The butterfly effect." Kairi murmured. "A most fearful thought. Then that it is even more reason to succeed."

"Anyway, upon arrival we will seek out Tohsaka Rin immediately. I have a hunch that she knows more of this." Waver tapped his hand on his leg. "If I am right, then that means that she didn't inform us for some reason."

"We will know soon enough. Those portals led to medieval England, did they not?"

"Yes. I believe somewhere in the time period of King Arthur's reign." Waver sounded displeased.

"That bothers you?" Kairi noted.

"Yes. I participated in the Holy Grail War ten years ago. Incidentally, King Arthur was summoned as the Saber class." Waver explained. "While I had some good experiences during the War, there were also many grueling ones. That's why I don't like to be remembered of it. That's also the problem with my apprentice Gray."

"Does you apprentice keep asking questions about the War?" Kairi's curiosity was now rearing it's head.

"No. It's worse than that." Waver sighed heavily. "She is one of King Arthur's descendants. And the most disturbing part is that she looks like a spitting image of her."

"Her? So, King Arthur was a girl? Now, that is a surprise." Kairi laughed. "Don't worry. I am certain that King Arthur showing up will be highly unlikely." Waver hoped that was true.

A humming sound traveled through the air as Mordred cut through the air with Clarent in fluid motions, as she was practicing in the castle garden. She officially moved in the castle yesterday. She was thinking what the best way to keep tabs on Esdelot. Her mother had given her an amulet that would protect the wearer from up to three verses, but she couldn't keep him at her side twenty four seven.

"Aaargh!" She jabbed her sword in the ground, shattering stones. She rubbed her head in annoyance. "Mother, couldn't you have come with us instead? Urgh! I guess that wouldn't be helpful either." If Morgan were here, she could keep Esdelot better in check. However, then she would probably the one who participates in the War and Mordred would lose her chance to have her wish granted. No good ideas came to mind. She gave up for now and went back inside.

"Sir Mordred." Beves called out to her. She turned her gaze towards him somewhat blankly."Are ye done with yer training?"

"Yes. I just can't find a good solution to our Esdelot problem." Mordred admitted sulkily. "Is there something you want?"

"No, not really. I just walked into ye." He replied woodenly. Mordred lifted an eyebrow at his strange response. "I was just about to go into the city for some more scouting. What are ye going to do now?"

"I will be going into the city as well. It's far more enjoyable compared to this dreary place." Mordred raised her shoulders. "But we have to be careful. After that stunt Esdelot pulled, the police, not to mention my father, will be more vigilant."

"I understand, Sir Mordred." He put on his pendant which made him appear like he wore clothes of this time. When Mordred frowned when she saw the 'clothes'. Last time she saw him in that disguise, she hadn't paid any real attention to it. There wasn't anything particular wrong with it, going from what she had learned, but it somehow felt off. "Is there something wrong, Sir?"

She gave up. Well, she was a knight, not a fashions expert. "No, nothing. And you can stop calling me Sir. Mordred is just fine. Besides it will sound strange to others." Mordred explained waving her hand dismissing it.

"Wait until I pack my sword." Beves nodded in response, he couldn't help but trace his eyes over her slender body. Suddenly his eyes met Mordred's and she didn't look happy. "You were checking me out." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Sorry. It's just...Ye are very beautiful." He said with a small voice, blushing like a tomato.

Mordred narrowed her eyes. This would probably not change, no matter where she went. "Just don't call me a girl."

"As ye wish. Say, have ye been to that building on top of the mountain before?" Beves changed the subject.

"Yes. I have visited it briefly during our time here. It's a temple. Their religion is called Buddhism or something like that." Mordred sounded somewhat disinterested, though. "Do you want to visit it?"

"I would like to see it once, yes. I have never encountered another religion before." Beves grinned. "Though, I doubt that it can match the teachings of our Lord."

"I never realized that you were that religious." Mordred lifted her eyebrows high. "And I am pretty sure that being a bandit goes against his teachings." She grinned challenging as she pointed that out. "Not that I care much about religion anyway."

Mordred's statement annoyed Beves a little, but Mordred wasn't wrong about it. "I will wait at the main entrance for ye."

A couple of hours later they were strolling through the city, towards the temple. Beves had only been in this city five times since they had arrived here, so many things still surprised him. "It's amazing right. I have seen these poles give light during the night and they bur all night long."

Mordred had stayed at Ayako's house since she arrived here and had spent almost every hour since then in the city. She was amazed how quickly she got used to most of these kind of things. "Indeed. From what I have learned is that they send electrical energy through a metal wire of some sorts, which creates light." Beves looked at her with big eyes. "Ayako told me."

"Of course. The girl who invited you in her house." Beves recalled. "By the way, you mentioned something called the 'Police'. What's that?"

"You probably have seen them a few times. It's those guys wearing blue uniforms and ride those black and white cars. They are like the town watch. Enforcers of the law, if you will." Mordred put her hands on the back of her head. "You might want to avoid doing something stupid in their presence, obviously."

"As would be common sense." Beves agreed. He quickly looked ahead, for they had reached the stairs. "That's a lot of stairs." He whistled.

"Yep. Let's go." They began their climb up the stairs. Beves took his time to examine the archways.

"I must admit. It feels really tranquil." Beves admitted.

"It does." Even Mordred had to admit that it left a good feeling with her. The long stairs and the arches that spanned over it, along with the surrounding trees, made it feel like a forest of faeries. They finally arrived at the top. Beves took a moment to observe the Temple grounds, before...

"Ahh, visitors." A middle-aged man walked up to them. His hair was shaved and he sported a neatly kept beard. "Foreigners, I see. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the high priest, Ryuudou. What brings you to our humble Temple?"

"We are just visiting. My friend here hasn't seen this kind of temple up close before." Mordred explained. She put her hand on Beves' shoulder.

"I see. Hmmm. I I believe that you have been here once or twice already. Or am I mistaken?" He crossed his arms and looked at Mordred.

"No, you aren't." Mordred pursed her lips.

Ryuudou nodded. "I take it that you two aren't that religious." He deduced. "Or rather, you aren't, little miss." He was surprised by the sudden rise of hostility, as Mordred glared at him.

"Mordred doesn't like it when you call her a girl." Beves explained slightly panicked.

"Hmm. In that case, please accept my sincerest apology." Ryuudou bowed towards her.

"Yes, yes. You are forgiven." Mordred said annoyed, waving her hand.

"Thank you. To get back to the main topic, you, young man." Beves pointed at himself, slightly confused. "Yes, you. You are a Christian, right?"

"How did ye know that?" Beves was visibly impressed.

"I have met my share of both believers and non-believers. One eventually gets a feeling for it." Ryuudou laughed.

"What religion do you practice here?" Beves let his eyes trail around the Temple complex.

"We follow the teachings of Buddhism." Ryuudou was surprised by Beves apparent ignorance about Buddhism.

"I am afraid that I don't know anything about it." Beves replied stoically.

"Do you want me to introduce you to it?" Beves put up his guard, causing Ryuudou to start laughing. "Don't worry. I won't force you to convert."

Beves looked at him sheepishly, realizing how stupid it was for him to assume such a thing. Mordred chuckled too. She stopped when she saw another person walking up to them. She knew this person, Issei Ryuudou.

"Oh, Issei. Come to greet our visitors?"

"No, father I just wanted to ask... Oh, Mordred-san." Issei said somewhat rudely. "And who is your friend?"

"My name is Beves." Beves replied irritated. "And who might ye be?"

"Ye?" Issei frowned.

"His name is Issei Ryuudou." Mordred said.

"You know her, Issei?" Ryuudou asked intrigued.

"Yes. She stayed with Mitsuzuri-san for a while. We met at school, when she showed her around." Issei readjusted his glasses. "So you've come to visit our temple?"

"Obviously." Mordred sniffed. "I have been here once before a couple of days ago, but I have never seen it's entirety."

"If you are that interested, we will give you a tour." Ryuudou offered.

"Then I will take you up on that." Mordred accepted his proposal. Issei seemed a little skeptical about the idea. Ryuudou showed them around the temple. Meanwhile he answered Beves' questions about the religion, whose respect for Buddhism seemed to grow the more he learned about it. Issei and Mordred simply followed along silently. Until they heard some ruckus.

"What is going on there?" Beves asked.

"Somebody is fighting." Mordred recognized the sounds.

"That must be nii-san. He's probably sparring right now." Issei reckoned, readjusting his glasses.

"Sparring with his fists it would seem. I don't hear any weapons clashing. Practicing with weapons would be more useful." Beves was unimpressed.

"It sounds like you have never heard of martial arts." Issei remarked, somewhat offended.

"Martial arts? What is that?" Beves blinked. "Anyway, fighting with your bare hands is only a last ditch option." Issei and Ryuudou were somewhat stunned by his ignorance, looking at him silently. Even Mordred looked at him curiously.

"That was definitely one of the most ignorant statements that I have ever heard." Issei shook his head. "You have no idea what one can do with his body alone, do you?"

"Why don't we go take a look." Ryuudou waved them to follow him. They went to the origin of the struggle. Upon arrival, they witnessed two people exchanging blows with each other. Mordred recognized one of them. It was that stoic teacher she met when Ayako showed her around school. The other one was undoubtedly a relative to Issei and Ryuukou. Mordred reckoned him to be Issei's older brother.

They silently watched as the two dueled. Beves eyes were almost popping out of his sockets. Even Mordred was impressed. She had witnessed fist fights, and even had fought with bare hands herself. But that was nothing like this. The Issei's brother used many different kind of kicks and punches, all of them were very efficient and even graceful. Each of them could do tremendous damage in a real fight.

The teacher, Kuzuki she recalled, mainly used his arms. Mordred had difficulty predicting their movements. The way he used them made his arms look more like snakes. The fight went on for a few more minutes before they finally stopped. Both men took a couple of steps backwards and bowed.

"It was a good fight, Souichirou-dono." Reikan smiled.

"Glad you enjoyed it, Reikan." Kuzuki's eyes fell on the group watching them. "Looks like we have some spectators."

Reikan turned to face the group. "Ah, Issei, father. Oh, we have guests. My name is Ryuudou Reikan. Nice to meet you."

"Well met. My name is Mordred and this is Beves." Mordred pointed with her thumb at him.

"Pleased to meet ye." Beves stuttered a little. "That was an incredible fight. I never knew that one could fight like that."

"Oh? First time witnessing such a fight." Beves fidgeted from excitement, which caused Mordred to roll her eyes. "Where did you learn such an unique techniques?"

"it is nothing that unique." Reikan laughed. "There are many places where they can teach you such things. There are also many different kinds of fighting styles. But I have to say that the style I used, is indeed unique and passed down in our family."

""It is as he says." Ryuudou affirmed. "This style only belongs to our family."

"I see. What about his style?" Beves pointed towards Kuzuki, somewhat rudely.

"Your friend is somewhat rude." Issei complained to Mordred.

"I know, but only when he gets exited or agitated." Mordred shrugged her shoulders.

"My style is only taught at a single place and they are very picky on who they teach." Kuzuki said impersonally.

"Mind if I have a go?" Mordred stepped forward, with a challenging expression. "I don't mind fighting with my fists." She knacked her knuckles.

"Sure. Who do you want as your opponent? Souichirou-dono and I are a little winded, but we can still go a round or two. What do you say, Souichirou-dono?" Reikan looked at him.

"I don't mind." He replied.

"I will face her." Everybody turned towards Issei, who gave Mordred a peculiar look. "Do you have any problems with that, Mordred-san?"

Mordred looked at him with a blank face, somewhat surprised. "Nope. I'm fine with that." She put her sword against the wall and walked onto the court.

"That is a surprise, Issei." Reikan smirked. "I thought that you didn't like girls."

"Girls are noisy. But I like her more than that manipulative fox, Tohsaka." Issei reorted. Mordred looked over her shoulder at the mentioning of Tohsaka's name. "And she intrigues me somewhat." Issei removed his shirt and moved to face Mordred. Mordred examined his body. To Issei's credit he was in very good shape.

Issei took his stance, as Ryuudou prepared to give the signal. "Lets keep it a clean fight." Issei narrowed his eyes and Mordred grinned. Ryuudou dropped his hand. "Begin!"

Issei dashed forward and performed a fast kick at Mordred's thigh, but she easily side-stepped it. But she was impressed by his speed. She gave a straight right in response. Issei tried to dodge it, but was still grazed. Issei jumped back, clasping his side. He was shocked by the force Mordred managed to exert despite her slender frame. When he looked at her, he noticed joy in her eyes. But for just a moment, also cruelty. "She is dangerous." He whispered.

Issei continued his offense with a series of punches and kicks. Mordred dodged them easily. The fight continued for a couple of minutes, during which Mordred only threw a couple of half-hearted punches. But Issei was glad for that. After that glancing blow, he had realized that if she would ever land a serious blow, he would be done for. Then, Issei launched his fastest attack yet. It was fast enough that it surprised Mordred for a second, but that was sufficient. Issei grazed her side.

The fight ended. Kuzuki had followed the fight silently. But Reikan and Issei's father were stunned by how Mordred had dominated the fight. Issei straightened himself before bowing politely. "Well fought, Mordred-san."

"You weren't bad yourself." Mordred admitted. Issei was dripping in sweat, but Mordred was still fresh. "And good stamina as well."

"But nothing like yours." Issei furrowed his brows. "Thank you for sparring with me."

"My pleasure. Perhaps I will do it again." Mordred smiled. "Anyway, I think it's time to leave now. There are still some things to do."

"Are you leaving already? Then allow me to escort you out." Ryuudou offered.

"Thank you." Mordred responded. She grabbed her sword. "Let's go, Beves."

"Good bye to you." Reikan waved.

"Yes, until another time." Kuzuki said, before he walked up to Issei. "Let me see that."

"Sure, Kuzuki-sensie." Issei showed the graze. His brother also took a look.

"That's quite serious for a graze." He remarked.

"Hah! If that had been a direct hit I would probably not be standing anymore." Issei's face contorted a little when he twisted his body a little. "She has a lot of strength for such a light build."

"Surprisingly enough, yes. Let's go inside and treat this." Reikan layed his hand on Issei's shoulder and guided him inside.

Ryuudou escorted Mordred and Beves to the temple gate. "Uh, Mordred-san. Could I have a word with you for a moment in private? There is something I want to affirm." Mordred looked at him curiously, but also with some suspicion.

"Sure. Beves, wait for me at the bottom, OK." Beves nodded and started down the stairs. Mordred turned towards Ryuudou when she was certain that Beves was out of hearing range. "So. What is it what you wanted to know?"

Her eyes went wide when Ryuudou suddenly laid his right hand on her forehead and pressed his left hand on her heart, while closing his eyes. The only reason that Mordred hadn't killed him on the spot was that she felt no hostility or lust from him. This was something else. "What are you doing. "What are you doing?" She asked with a low voice.

A moment later he removed his hands and opened his eyes. He looked at her with an indeterminable look in his eyes. "As I thought. You carry much anger within. As well as sorrow. Such turmoil."

Mordred took a step back out of surprise. Her eyes went wide. This man had just gazed in her heart. "What did you...?"

"I achieved this through years of training. I can sense the state peoples hearts by reading their Ki, or life force. And yours in great turmoil." Mordred felt confused. "I wonder. Can you tell me what the cause is?"

Now she felt angry. "That is none of your concern."

"I understand. But whatever the cause, you should seek to resolve it. Or else you anger will become your undoing." Ryuudou spoke calmly.

"Oh, I will resolve it. Don't you worry!" Mordred snapped and rushed down the stairs. She felt shaken. Ryuudou had glimpsed in her heart and it unsettled her. She never felt so vulnerable in her life.

Sisigou and Waver arrived in Fuyuki in the evening. A car had been provided by the association for their use. Right now they drove through the city towards the Tohsaka residence where they hoped to receive some answers. Waver was still contemplating about Gilgamesh. How did he remain in this world after the destruction of the Grail. The most logical answer was that he became someone's familiar. The previous master of the Tohsaka household died during the War, so that rules him out. Perhaps Saber's master? Or maybe Assassin's master? Waver didn't know about his/her fate. Or another party?

"Any ideas springing to mind?" Waver returned from his thoughts. He looked at Sisigou with a difficult face and shook his head. "Don't worry. We will get to the bottom of this. " Waver looked absentmindedly out of the window as they passed through mount Miyama. But suddenly...

"STOP!" Waver yelled. Sisigou slammed the brakes in utter surprise. Waver jumped out of the car as soon as it came to a halt.

"Hey! Wait up." Sisigou sought out the nearest parking spot, while Waver was running off. "What's gotten into him?"

Waver ran across the street almost crashing in to many other pedestrians, who glared after him as he rushed past them. He finally caught sight of her. There was the girl with her golden hair. And she wasn't alone. A tall handsome, blond man walked next to her. Waver's heart started throbbing faster as he closed the distance. He rushed right up to her and reached for her shoulder. The girl grabbed his hand with lightning reflexes and turned to face him with an angry glare. The man next to her showed open hostility towards him.

"Who are you?" She demanded. The commanding, dignified voice cleared all doubts from his mind.

"So it is you. King Arthur." Waver sighed heavily from exasperation. Arturia and Bedivere had tensed up, for he had recognized them for who they were. Sisigou had reached them just in time to hear these words. Despite the shock, he manged to keep his composure.

"Who are you?" Arturia asked again, looking at him intensely. "How did you know who I was?"

"I think a better question would be: What are you doing here?" Waver retorted. "Why did you pass through the Portal?"

"Watch your tone. You are still talking to a king." Bedivere warned him.

"And who are you?" Sisigou moved in front of him, his sharp eyes boring into Bedivere's.

"Sir Bedivere, commander of the King's Guard." Bedivere replied calmly.

"Hooo. Well now. Are there more knights of the Round Table present?" Sisigou inquired.

"There is no need to answer you." Bedivere took a step forward. "What a foul stench." Bedivere lifted his nose.

"Do you have a problem with that pretty boy?" Sisigou grinned.

"That's enough, Bedivere." Arturia bid Bedivere to back down.

"You too, Sisigou." Waver rubbed his wrist. Sisigou and Bedivere subsequently took a step back. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Lord El-Melloi II from the Mage Association. This is my associate, Sisigou Kairi, who is in charge of any thing combat related."

"Pleased to meet you, King Arthur." Kairi greeted them.

"The Mage's Association? I have heard about it." Arturia looked at them somewhat worrisome.

"Given you clothes and behavior, I can tell that you have been here for some time already." Waver deduced. "Are you familiar with the Tohsaka family?"

"Yes. We have met." Arturia confessed.

"Well then. I and my colleague will be going to the Tohsaka Residence. I ask that you join us there, along with everyone who has come with you to this time. We will discuss things there further." Waver took a step back.

"Very well. We will see you there." Arturia agreed. Waver nodded and he and Sisigou left.

"My King?" Bedivere looked at her questioningly. "What do you think?"

"I am not sure. We will have to wait and see. Whatever happens, things will change." Arturia contemplated with a dark expression.

Tohsaka was bent over her homework. She progressed more slowly today. This started to happen regularly since their arrival. While she usually managed to keep calm, there were moments when her worries got to her. She straightened herself. "This is all emotional flab."

Suddenly she felt a disturbance in the bounded field around her home. It was definitely caused by magic. Alarmed she jumped from her seat and rushed towards the window. Her face showed dread when she saw the two Magi standing in front of her house. The initial shock quickly made place for exasperation. She covered her face with her hand. "Of course it couldn't last." She went outside and dropped the field.

The two men walked up to the door. The one with long brown hair spoke first. "Good day, miss Tohsaka. I am Lord El-Melloi II and this is Sisigou Kairi."

"Pleased to meet you, miss." Kairi waved. From his appearance and the feeling he gave off, Tohsaka reckoned that he was a bounty hunter.

"Do you know why we are here?" El-Melloi asked.

"Yes. You are here because of King Arthur. Please come in." Rin stepped aside and let them enter. She reactivated the bounded field and closed the door. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you find out about them?"

El-Melloi sat down on the couch. "We didn't. We came here to investigate the kidnapping one of our associates witnessed." El-Melloi informed her. Tohsaka was stunned.

"The kidnapping? I see. Wait! So you didn't know about King Arthur? Aaarrrgh." Tohsaka cursed herself for shooting her mouth off. "I messed up again."

"So you knew about them and didn't inform us. No matter. I had seen her walking on the street as we drove through the city. It was just a coincidence." El-Melloi continued.

"Uhh? Wait a minute? You said you recognized her? How is that possible?" Tohsaka snapped out of her tantrum. "I... Please don't touch that!" She warned Kairi, who had been examening some of the items in the room. Kairi made a weak apologetic expression and sat himself next to El-Melloi.

"I will tell you that when they arrive here. I don't like explain things twice." El-Melloi said. He started to take out his cigarettes. "Mind if I smoke?"

"Not too much please." She took out an ashtray and put it on the Salon table. A short while later Arturia and the rest arrived and soon everybody had gathered in the living room.

El-Melloi and Kairi examined them one at the time. They counted five from the past, including Arturia and Bedivere. And then there was the auburn haired young man. "Five. How troublesome." Kairi murmured.

"Thank you all for coming. Now for those who not know, my name is El-Melloi II." Ell-Meloi introduced himself again, putting out his cigarette.

"My name is Sisigou Kairi." Kairi's sharp eyes went over each of them, as he tried to gage their power. _As I thought. They are all very powerful._ He was especially wary for that seemingly air headed Magus. _That must be Merlin. _They in their turn were observing them.

"You are here to send us back to our time." Kay stated, resting his chin on his folded hands.

"That has come into play when we realized you were present in this era." Kairi affirmed. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name."

"Sir Kay."

"Arthur's brother." Kairi smirked. "Say, do you really have giant blood coursing through your veins?"

"That's none of your concern." Kay scowled from annoyance.

"That aside, who are these three who haven't introduced themselves yet?" His gaze fell on Gawain, Merlin and Shirou. "I am certain that this individual is Merlin." He pointed at him.

"Correct. I am Merlin, the Court Magus." Merlin smiled faintly. "And you are a Necromancer."

"Ohh, you realized?" Kairi was impressed, though he had expected it somewhat. This is Merlin after all. "But indeed, you are right. I work as a bounty-hunter for the Mage's Association."

"A bounty-hunter? How interesting. I have never met a Magus who follows that kind of career." Merlin was now sitting on the edge of his seat, fidgeting from excitement. Kairi and El-Melloi looked at him, baffled from his childlike reaction.

"Yes, that 's just how he is." Kay grumbled.

" I am Gawain." Gawain changed the topic.

"The Knight of the Sun." El-Melloi intoned. "And this young man is...?"

"Shirou, Emiya Shirou. They are currently residing at my house." He said flatly. Kairi showed a look of recognition when he heard the name Emiya.

"Now everybody has introduced themselves." Arturia went on to the next topic. "There is one thing I would like to know first, thought." She looked at El-Melloi intensely. "When we met on the street, it was clear that you recognized me, even though we have never met before. How is that possible?"

"That is what I want to know too." Tohsaka added. "Care to explain that to us?"

El-Melloi took another cigarette, lit it and drew from it. "It really isn't that complicated. If I say that I participated in the Holy Grail War ten years ago, that should be sufficient." He exhaled the smoke.

"So that's it. I should have realized." Tohsaka frowned at her own lack of insight. "So, you are saying that she had been summoned as a Servant during the War." El-Melloi nodded to her assessment.

"Correct. I encountered her when she was participating in the War under the Saber class. She was not mine Servant though. Mine was Rider." He divulged.

"I was summoned?" Arturia murmured in surprise.

"Yes. By the Einzbern master. We are moving of topic. Let us proceed to the main question." El-Melloi's voice was all business now. "Why are you here?"

Arturia, Shirou, Tohsaka and the rest spent the next twenty minutes telling of what had transpired. The story left El-Melloi dispirited.

"The past was changed that much? And Mordred is after the Grail too." He brushed through his hair. "I wonder how much of history has changed?"

"I don't think that it has changed that much." Merlin suddenly commented. Everybody looked at him with disbelief and confusion.

"Could you please elaborate on that?" El-Melloi urged him.

"Of course. As you know, I posses the gift of Clairvoyance. Thus I know what should have happened. And I can tell you that the most important parts haven't been changed." Merlin tapped his fingers together. "For example, and I am sorry to say this Gawain, Gawain's brothers died on the day they were supposed to."

"What do you mean 'died when they were supposed to'?" Gawain shouted. Merlin motioned him to ease down.

"What I mean is, we are all aware that a phenomenon such as traveling back in time should not be possible, right?" Everybody nodded. "Because such a thing would upset the flow of time. But it did happen. In response the flow of Time is trying to rectify itself."

"I see. It is automatically trying to correct itself." Tohsaka brushed her hair. "So that the changes would remain as small as possible."

"Correct, young lady. To come back to the example of Gawain's brothers. The day they died would have been the day that the Queen would have been executed. Because of Shirou's arrival in our time the cause of their death was altered, but they still died on the same day, as was intended. I am sorry to say this, Gawain. But the harsh truth is that it was simply their time." He finished with an apologetic look on his face.

Gawain sat covered his face with his hands and sight, heavily. A heavy since fell in the room. It was Kairi who broke the silence. "How did they die, exactly? From what I know about the Arthurian legend, they were killed by Lancelot when he rescued the Queen from the stake."

Arthuria, Gawain, Kay and Bedivere were shocked by his words. Killed by Lancelot? That was not what happened. "That was how it should have happened." Now they turned their shocked expressions towards Merlin.

"You are saying that he would have killed them?" Arturia was shocked, just like the others, but somehow it was not surprising. "Even so, that was not what eventually happened, so how was it recorded as such?"

"That I don't know." Merlin admitted.

"I think it's simple. Someone made sure it was recorded as such." Tohsaka reasoned. She suddenly put on a pair of glasses. "Further more, while the legend of King Arthur is know throughout the world, the truth of your actual existence and identity has pretty much been blurred out from history. As magic is being hidden from the world, things like dragons and Magi are considered things from children bedtime stories. Let alone things like Excalibur. Now a days, some of most common speculations about your true identity is that you are either a Romano-British leader, or even that you are entirely fictional. Well, that is not surprising. The older a tale is, the harder it becomes to verify it."

"I see." Arturia nodded, as she understood his reasoning.

"You certainly are very intelligent. Are you planning to enroll in the Clock Tower?" El-Melloi inquired.

Tohsaka brushed through her hair and removed the glasses. "When I finish High School. May I ask you something else?"

"What is it?"

"You came here because of the kidnapping from the other day, right?" Kairi and El-Melloi nodded. "Then you should know who was behind it."

"I second that. Please tell us everything you know about him. I will start formulating a plan of attack based on that information." Kairi clasped his hands together.

"Wait, you will? Don't you two work together?" Tohsaka interrupted.

"No, this guy's abilities as a Magus are pretty bland. He is here in regards to the one who thwarted the kidnapping." El-Melloi shot him an annoyed glare.

"You know who thwarted it?" Kay asked.

"Yes. A member of the association was passing through this city and was able to witness the whole thing." El-Melloi disclosed. "The one who thwarted it was a Servant."

"Whaaa!?" Tohsaka blurted. Everybody except Merlin was shocked by this revelation. "You are saying that there is a Servant from the war still present in this time?"

"Indeed. Perhaps he had become a familiar to a powerful Magus, or he was somehow granted a physical body." El-Melloi shook his head from irritation. "But from the description, I know who it is." Everybody stared at him tensely. "He was summoned under the Archer class."

"Merlin, could he be that powerful entity you sensed?" Kay rememberer.

"That would be the most likely conclusion." Merlin confirmed, he looked at El-Melloi. "How would you describe him in one word?

"Golden." Merlin nodded slowly in affirmation to his description.

"Merlin described him as one who could defeat the entire Round Table by himself." Gawain mentioned. "As you met him during the War, you probably saw him in action. Can you confirm this?"

"Yes. That is an accurate assessment." Arturia and the others tensed up. "I warn you, this guy does as he pleases, going by whatever whim he comes up with. And he has some long toes, so be careful."

"Thanks for informing us." Gawain thanked him.

"On that note, did you consider the possibility that you could end up fighting him?" Tohsaka inquired.

"It is possible. But if that happens I can not fight. If I did, I would die. And my king ordered me to live." El-Melloi stated with pride.

"Your King?" This had piqued Arturia's interest.

"His Servant during the War was Iskandar, King of Conquerors." Kairi grinned. "And now he is his loyal subject."

"Oh, is that so? If that is the case, your loyalty is most splendid." Bedivere praised him. "There was no trace of cowardice, sarcasm or the like in your words. I can tell." Kay, Arturia and Gawain also had felt the sincerity in his words.

"That is all nice, but could we get back to the Magus? And Mordred for that matter." Kairi interjected.

"Ah, right. The Magus." El-Melloi echoed. "What can you tell us about him?"

"He is a notorious Magus from our time, a man named Esdelot. He is very apt in several fields of Thaumaturgy." Arturia began. "Esdelot was known for conducting many abhorrent experiments, which claimed many lives. I ordered a manhunt for him and his son at one point."

"While we did manage to track him down, he managed to escape. Although his son died during the fighting." Gawain continued. "Later he was recruited by Morgan, to serve her designs. He has followed Mordred to this time as part of her expedition."

"As for his abilities... He is quite apt at making Homunculi and even Golems to some extent." Merlin laid out his abilities. "In combat he prefers fire and lightning based spells, along with potent defensive barriers. However, his greatest aptitude lies in the making bounded fields. Especially those meant for concealment and illusions. It's all too much to go over it in detail in a short amount of time, but this is the general layout of his abilities."

"Valuable information indeed. Could you describe his appearance?"

"An older man, with a crude, hollow-looking face and dark-gray hair. He lost his right eye during his escape." Gawain knew that very well, as he was the one who did it.

"Thanks. That will do for now. I will drop by again in the next few days to discuss Esdelot's abilities in detail." Kairi started for the door. "Don't forget to ask for his address, El-Melloi." He pointed at Shirou. Shirou didn't like the idea of this man coming to his house, which clearly showed on his face.

"Huh? Where are you going?" El-Melloi asked stunned. "We are not yet done here."

"I am going to scout out the city." He declared. "You know surveying the battle grounds and such. I will see you tomorrow morning at the hotel."

"What will you do if you run into Mordred or one of his men?" Shirou asked.

"They don't know who I am yet, so that wouldn't be a problem. And I don't planning to fight them until my preparations are complete, . But if I am attacked then... Well, I make sure they will regret it." He spoke with the utmost confidence. One could say even overconfident. Everybody looked at him sceptically.

"You should ease up on that confidence. You remind me of Mordred." Shirou chided him. "She is just like that."

"Is she really? I like her already." He grinned. "What does she look like? It would be convenient to be able to recognize her."

"She looks identical to Arturia. But her personality is very rebellious. Can't miss it." Shirou informed him.

"She looks just like her?" El-Melloi uttered with a scowl. "Good thing, I left Gray in England, or else I would be seeing triple. Seriously, does every girl in your family look like you?"

"What do you mean by that?" Arturia felt irritated from his outburst.

"His apprentice Gray, is apparently one of your descendants." Kairi divulged. "And she seemed to resemble you greatly." Arturia was surprised by the revalation. "Now, if you will excuse me, I will be going now. Could you see me out, little miss?"

Tohsaka nodded and escorted him out. As she did that, Arturia continued the conversation. "You seem to dislike me a lot. Why is that?"

"I don't dislike you personally, but you, as for most things related to the War, bring up some bad memories." He admitted. "Not everything was bad about it, but some gruesome things happened. And well..."

"I understand. By the way, what was Iskandar like?" She changed the topic.

"You are interested in him, my King?" Bedivere inquired.

"To an extent. He was said to be a great King and I would like to know if he lived up to his reputation." She smiled. "Did we talk with each other? How was our relationship?"

El-Melloi smiled, nostalgia reflecting in his eyes. "He was a great King, truly worthy of the tittle King of Conquerors. It was because of him that I am who I am today." Then his expression darkened somewhat. "And you did talk with him. At some point during the War he hosted a banquet of Kings. Three Kings attended, including you and Iskandar.."

"Let me guess, the third one was Archer?" Arturia affirmed, to which he nodded.

"You all discussed your respective path of Kingship. ...And while he recognized you as a great warrior, at the end of the Banquet he no longer recognized you as a King." Those last words were like a bomb. Arturia, Bedivere and Kay looked at him shocked. Gawain was more angry than shocked. Shirou managed to remain calm. Merlin mearly sighed heavily.

"Why is that?" Arturia asked with a low voice.

"Because your way was the opposite of his. To him a King was who inspired and guided his people, but you." El-Melloi stared at her hard. "Your path is that of a martyr." Arturia looked at him with uncertainty. Bedivere closed his eyes, his face sad. Gawain stared angrily at El-Melloi, while Kawy sighed. Merlin seemed to follow it all with great interest. Shirou wasn't sure what to say.

Then Tohsaka returned. "Your friend is gone. What is...?" Tohsaka stopped when she felt the heavy atmosphere. "Did something happen?"


	25. Chapter 24

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 24: Invitations and preparations

Sisigou was walking through the riverside park, going over the tactical possibilities he could exploit in his head. Ambush spots, possible escape routes, hideouts, cover and the likes. "No, good. Far too exposed." He concluded. "Some higher vantage points and bushes to hide in, but that's it. On to the next location." Kairi had scouted out most of Miyama Town by now. So he headed for Shinto next. It must have been fate, because as he crossed the bridge he ran into none other than Mordred. They stopped several meters from each other.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" Mordred demanded for she recognized him as a Magus. She unwrapped Clarent's handle. This Magus reeked of blood and another smell she couldn't place. This guy was definitely battle-hardened. And what's more, the look in his eyes revealed that he knew her.

"I am Sisigou Kairi. The best bounty hunter the Association has to chose from. Pleased to meet you, Mordred." Mordred grinned for she felt the absolute confidence this magus had in his abilities.

Mordred lifted an eyebrow and answered with a clear voice. "I take it that you are here to send me back?"

"I guess there is a first time for everything." Kairi snickered.

"What are you on about?" Mordred had no idea what was so funny and that made her feel irritated.

"Nothing. Usually the first thing do people, when they interact with me for the first time, is saying that I scare them." Kairi looked her in the eye. "I don't even recall the last time that didn't happen."

Mordred gave him a blank stare. "Scare them? Your appearance is formidable, but it doesn't scare me?"

"I guess a knight as yourself has different standards. A welcome change." He laughed.

"Regardless, you didn't answer my question. Did you come to send me back?" Mordred pressed the issue.

"That is what my employers would want, though they are still unaware that you are here." Sisigou continued, as he took out a cigarette. "I only became aware that you were here, when my colleague and I ran into your 'father'."

"If you didn't knew about us, then why... Ah, I see. It was the kidnapping, right?" Mordred deduced. "It has to be. I heard from Shirou that that Association is concerned about keeping magic a secret. Am I right?"

"You are spot on." Sisigou clapped. "I was surprised though. The Legendary King Arthur and Mordred were both girls. That was..." He felt silent when he saw Mordred's face contort and was hit by a wave of killing intend.

"Don't call me a girl." Her growl was filled with murderous intent.

"Understood. I apologize." Kairi apologized sincerely, raising his hands. _I better be careful, or she would most definitely kill me. _"I heard from your father that you are here for the Grail, is that correct?"

Mordred breathed in deep to calm down. "Off course. I learned from it through Shirou. It's power could grant me my wish."

"That is logical. And also the problem. Your wish could upset the course of history. Whether or not the Association knows about you presence, they would most assuringly try to stop you. And I will probably be ordered to aid them." Kairi explained. "Well, not that I would complain, as long as they provide adequate compensation."

"Just try it." Mordred dared him.

Kairi stared at her with his sharp eyes. "That would certainly be a memorable fight. But there is no need to fight just yet. For now I just want to talk with you. Why don't we take a seat over there?" He pointed at a nearby bench.

Mordred's instincts told her it was okay, so she sat down with Kairi. "Hey, could I try one of those?" She pointed at his cigarette. Kairi nodded once and handed her one. After he lit it, Mordred took a deep breath. The smoke stung her airways, but she didn't dislike it. "What is this stuff?"

"It's called a cigarette. Basically dried tobacco in a paper roll. You can also use it in pipes. I believe that in your time they used herbal pipes."

Mordred pulled her nose up. "Yes. Those things reek."

"Not surprising. Anyway, how do you see your chances in obtaining the Grail at this point?"

Mordred answered resolute. "Very favorable. I am the only true successor to the King of Knights, Arthur Pendragon! I have no doubt that I will succeed." Kairi looked at her peculiarly. "What?"

"Aren't you rebelling against your father?" Mordred's face flushed.

She regained her composure, as she jumped up and stood in front of Kairi. With a cold tone, which belied the rage and animosity that shook her body, she declared. "Yes, I am. My father refuses to recognize my power. Even though I am his equal, no... surpass him in terms of rule and sword. And all because of my Pedigree! If that is the case, I will end it in rebellion." She straightened herself and with a burning gaze she continued. "I will prove to everyone that there is no meaning to the King's reign whatsoever!"

Mordred's Pedigree. She was born of infidelity between King Arthur and his own sister, Morgan le Fay. Kairi drew of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke calmly. "So, you will wish to become king."

"No, my father would never acknowledge that." Mordred replied, which surprised Kairi.

"So, than what is your wish?"

"I... Why should I tell you?" Mordred looked at him blankly.

"No reason what so ever." Kairi admitted. "I must say, you have quite some confidence."

"Naturally. I feel that the same thing goes for you." Mordred smiled. "Looks like we have something in common. By the way, what is that other smell that hangs around you?"

"What other smell?"

"You reek of blood, but there is also this other stinging kind of smell, like something burning and sulphuric."

"Gunpowder." Kairi sat upright and procured something from underneath his jacket. Mordred moved in closer and examined it. It looked like the stock of a crossbow with two short metal tubes on top of it. "This is a sawed-off shotgun. The basic principal of any type of gun is a simple metal tube with one side closed off." Sisigou didn't mind telling her this, as she would learn about guns at some point in her stay here. "You fill the bottom with an explosive powder and put a projectile in it. When you ignite the powder, the explosion will hurtle the projectile through the tube. This thing has of course been threated with thaumaturgy." Sisigou was confident that as long as he wouldn't reveal what those rituals were, he could keep Mordred guessing should it come to blows. Especially, since the most important thing was the ammunition he used or this thing.

"A ranged weapon. Is that thing powerful?" Before Kairi could react, Mordred had already grabbed the thing and weighed it in her hand. "Rather light."

"Well, yeah. I shortened the barrels and cut off the stock. It is light and easily concealable. Normally shotguns are close range weapons. Devastating on light and unarmored targets. But like I said, this one is treated with thaumaturgical rites, so the normal specs don't apply to this thing."

Mordred tossed it back at him and he caught it deftly. "I don't think that normal magi would use it."

"You bet. They consider me a heretic because of it. I got some other guns as well." Kairi continued.

"I see... By the way, are you are a Necromancer?" Mordred listened to her instincts to come to that conclusion. Kairi slowly nodded. "No wonder you smell of death." She sat back down next to him. "Why did you decided to use that thing?"

"I prefer to go on the offense. Press my opponent and drive him into a corner. That is how I roll." He stated proudly.

Mordred smirked. She started to like him more and more. "I would like to see that."

"Perhaps you will."

"The Sword of Appointment." Mordred said suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"My wish is to challenge the Sword of Appointment in front of my father." Her tone was imperious.

"You mean Caliburn." Kairi was intrigued. "I see. The Holly Grail could grant that wish, but..."

"But...?" Mordred echoed.

"What will you do if you cant pull it out?" He pointed out.

To this, Mordred stood up and stood in front of him. She puffed up with pride and proclaimed with tremendous, overpowering weight and dignity befitting of a King. "What nonsense are you spouting? Without a doubt I can pull out the sword!"

Kairi couldn't suppress his grin and growing excitement. Yes, she might very well succeed. "You are far more interesting than your father."

"You think?" Mordred raised her eyebrows a little. "Any way, don't tell anyone what I just told you."

"My lips are sealed." He threw down his cigarette butt and put it out with his boot. "Why did you decide to tell me this all of a sudden?"

"How would I put it. Don't you get the feeling that we are somewhat similar?"

Kairi felt the same. Both of them possessed rather aggressive personalities. But thing that was the most similar was that they both had an abundance in confidence. "Yes, I get that feeling too."

"thought so. Now, it is time for me to go. It is late and I would like to get some shut eye before the sun rises." She grabbed Clarent and started walking away. "Until next time."

"Yes. Until next time." Kairi stayed seated a while longer, until Mordred had disappeared from sight. He took another cigarette and walked away. "Mordred. She is certainly very interesting."

Arturia was standing in the yard, looking up at the star filled sky, reminiscing the discussion with El-Melloi. The fourth Holly Grail War had come up and El-Melloi had told them that she had been summoned during this War as Saber. While that certainly was a surprise, what bothered her were the words that Iskandar had said to her during the Banquet of Kings. He denounced her as a King and said that her path was that of a Martyr. She didn't mind being a martyr of course. She was willing to sacrifice anything for the safety of her country, but something kept nagging in the back of her head. She knew that there was more that he hadn't divulged.

"Everything alright?" Arturia turned around to see Kay standing on the porch.

"Yes, I was just thinking..."

"...about what El-Melloi, or rather, what Iskandar said about you." Kay finished her. Arturia gave a nod. "Don't let it get to you. You're a fine king."

He said that, but while she felt that he was sincere, she also felt something else in his voice. "There was more to what he said. I will ask him again the next time I see him."

"Some things are better left alone." Kay warned her.

"I know, but still..." It got stuck in her head. She sighed and turned around. "I will go and get some sleep now. See you tomorrow, Kay." Arturia walked passed him and went to her room.

Kay looked at the moon and punched the windowsill. "A martyr, hé. I always wondered what drives you to go that far as you do, you stupendously, over-serious fool." He felt angry, both at her and himself for not being able to understand her. He turned around and went to his chamber.

Shirou was already busy in the kitchen when Kay and Arturia awoke the next morning. "Good, morning, you two."

"Morning Shirou." Arturia sat down at the table. The delicious smell of his cooking tickled her nose.

"Good morning. Have you slept well?"

"Good enough." She sounded a bit heavy hearted.

"What are you going to do today? I have to work at Copenhagen today, but I was hoping that somebody could stay here. Raiga-san will send somebody over to pick up the bike." Shirou exited the kitchen and started setting the table.

"I think I will stay here for a while, but probably only until noon. So I will see to it."

"Thank you, Arturia. By the way, your birthday is coming up, right?" Shirou remembered.

"Yes. That is to say in about a week. Well, counting from the date that we left for this era." She explained. "But as I said, I don't need a present. I won't say no to a fine meal though."

"I understand." As he said that, Bedivere and Gawain entered.

"Can I have some sake?" Gawain asked, while Bedivere sat down and turned on the TV to watch the news.

"This early?" Shirou frowned. "A well. There is some in the fridge. Help yourself."

"Thanks."

"When do you think that El-Melloi comes to visit?" Bedivere started the topic. "I don't believe he mentioned that."

"That's right. But he has the phone number, so he can call us if necessary." Shirou reminded him. "I just hope that that Kairi guy won't come over when Fuji-nee or Sakura are here." The others could readily agree with that. Kairi had the stench of blood all over him. And then there was his intimidating, if not frightening, appearance which would certainly cause them to panic.

"His demeanor was somewhat different from any other magus we encountered before, wouldn't you say." Gawain said to Bedivere and Arturia.

"What do you mean?" Shirou wondered.

"Well, most Magi tend to be more arrogant. They are confident that they can defeat any one magus, or any magus they perceive weaker than themselves, with ease. Maintaining a strong defense while attacking from range." Gawain elaborated. "While I don't have anything to support this, this guy felt like he was more of the offensive type, one who focuses almost solely on offense and he didn't gave of that air of seeing himself superior to others."

"Indeed. He radiated very strong confidence, but not the excessive arrogance which is typical to most magi." Bedivere agreed. "The man also seemed rather pragmatic."

"I see." Shirou understood. "Are Kay and Merlin awake yet? Because breakfast is almost ready." As on cue Kay and Merlin entered the room the very next moment.

"Good morning. Aren't miss Sakura and Taiga here today?" Kay remarked.

"No. They had something else to do this morning, so they won't be joining us this morning." Shirou informed him.

"That's unfortunate." Merlin sighed slightly. A few minutes later, they all were enjoying breakfast.

"Delicious as always, Shirou." Gawain complemented him.

"Thank you, Gawain." Shirou turned to Arturia. "Do you have had any progress with Mordred?"

"No, unfortunately not. She keeps avoiding us. And when we do meet, there are usually other people around us." Arturia handed her bowl to Shirou for a third serving of rice. "And we still don't know where her men are hold up."

"At least, they are keeping quiet after the latest incident." Gawain remarked.

"Mordred may have betrayed us, but she still considers herself a knight." Arturia knew this for certain. "Will get them eventually. It's only a matter of time." Everybody agreed with that assessment. In her mind, Arturia thought about Mordred. _What would she be doing now?_

Mordred sneezed as she was strolling along the riverside, reminiscing about her encounter with Kairi. She found him a interesting guy for sure. The next moment she ran into Ayako. "Hey, Mordred. How are you doing?" She waved.

"Nothing special. Just passing time." Mordred said casually.

"No progress on your ...whatever you are planning?"

"Not really. I am just waiting for the right time. It will take awhile." Mordred admitted. Ayako eyed her questioningly.

"Say, Mordred can I ask you something?" Ayako smiled her teeth bare.

"Sure. What is it?"

"How is your acting?" Mordred looked at her blankly, momentarily confused by the question.

"Huh? What are you on about? I don't spend time on such drivel." Mordred responded. "What is this all about?"

"Well, you see, the school festival is coming up in a couple of weeks. We of the archery club decided to perform a play and we are looking for some additional people who would like to participate."

Mordred blinked a few times letting it sink in. "You want me to perform on stage?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm asking." Ayako spoke calmly. "Interested?"

"Let's assume that I do, what is the topic of the play?" Mordred was slightly interested.

"Well, it's not exactly an old one. One of our members wrote it some time ago." Ayako explained. "It is a fictional tale during the Boshin War. A western knight on a journey arrives in Japan and befriends a samurai. The plot is pretty good for an amateur."

"Oh. Let me guess, you need someone to play the knight?" Now she was getting more interested. She never had stood on a stage before, but she was confident in her acting skills. After all she had fooled many people during her life. Hiding her dislike for others... her role in the rebellion.

"Yes. Though I would have to make some arrangements." Ayako admitted regretfully. "The play is supposed to be performed by students only, but I think I can persuade them to allow a guest star."

"I am sure that you will be able to manage it." Mordred reassured her.

"Well, Issei can be difficult to persuade at times." Ayako worried.

"That stiff guy with the glasses?" Mordred remembered him.

"Yeah, he is the student council president, so our propositions for our festival activity first goes through him." Ayako smirked. "He takes his job as the council president very serious. Whether it is events or the club budgets."

"Budgets? He is involved in finances?"

"Yeah. Every club gets a budget for the year. As the Student council president it is part of his duty to determine how much every club gets." Ayako sighed. "It's not that he is bad at it, but he tends to favor the non-sports clubs. The sports clubs get the largest budgets, so it isn't entirely unjustified."

"He sounds like that stingy idiot." Mordred laughed.

"Stingy idiot?" Ayako blinked.

"I am talking about Kay. Arturia's foster brother." Mordred smirked. "He is only a mediocre swordsman, who relies more on his words than his sword. Besides that, his only real talent is counting money."

"You don't seem to like him very much." Ayako concluded, with a questionable smile.

"Obviously." She scoffed. "That annoying, perfect honor student, Gawain. That happy-go lucky bastard, Merlin and that over-admiring Bedivere." Before she had realized it she had ranted about all of them. "Argh! Forget I said those things. It doesn't concern you."

"I guess that's for the best." Though she knew it was impossible to forget. "Shall we go for a walk?"

"Yohhh, guys!" Before Mordred could answer a loud cheer from non other than Kaede rang out. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Makidera." Ayako reacted slightly startled.

"Ah, the dimwit." Mordred wasn't surprised at all.

"Oy! Is that what you say first thing, Mo-san?" Makidera frowned from annoyance.

"It's Mordred." She grumbled. "Don't call me that."

"If you refrain from calling me dimwit." She retorted.

"It seems you can get along with each other just fine." Ayako laughed.

"Don't jest about that." Mordred frowned.

"So, Mitsuzuri. What is the archery cub doing this year?" Kaede jumped to the next topic. "We are going to do a small restaurant."

"We are doing a play." Ayako patted Mordred on the shoulder. "I was just asking Mordred if she wanted to play as a guest star."

"Really!?" Kaede clamored loudly. "You'll have to convince Issei first. Tough assignment."

"I will manage." She smiled.

"Hey, Mo-san. I wanted to tell you...I want a rematch for last time." Kaede pointed challengingly at Mordred, who stared calmly at her. "As the Black panther of Homurahara I can't let this go unanswered."

"It will just end like last time." Mordred sighed. "But I'll recognize your tenacity. If you really want I will indulge you, but not today."

"I'll hold you to it, Mo-san." Kaede declared loudly. "May the best girl ..." She quickly fell silent and swallowed when she swallowed Mordred's angry glare. "M-may the best win." She laughed nervously, before running off.

Mordred sighed annoyed. "Mo-san." She looked at Ayako who snickered. "I must say, I think it suits you." Mordred looked at her incredulously. "Would you mind if I call you that?"

"As a matter of fact I do." She fretted. "It sounds so... I don't know. It feels so off. So I would prefer if you don't."

Ayako shrugged her shoulders. "If that is what you want." Mordred nodded slowly. "Very well. About something else... Are you always going to carry around that thing?" she pointed to the bundle containing Clarent. "I know it is important to you, but still... I don' think anyone will just steal it. Can't you leave it at home once in a while. Carrying a real sword in public is kinda illegal in Japan without the right license. And minors aren't allowed to carry one regardless."

"Really? That's such a hassle." Mordred said perplexed. "Where I come from it is completely normal for a knight to walk around with a sword."

_Where or rather when was that? Do you live in the middle-ages?_ Ayako thought. "Sure, but this isn't your home country, right. Can't you at least leave it at home if you aren't going to use it? You can get into serious problems with..." She suddenly fell silent, looking scared at something behind Mordred. When Mordred turned around he saw Kairi walking up to them. No wonder Mitsuzuri was so alarmed.

"Good day, Mordred." He waved.

"Yoh. We meet again." Mordred greeted him.

"Mo-san. You know this guy?" Ayako stared at her.

"Sort of. I met him yesterday. We had a friendly chat." Mordred replied casually. Ayako just glanced to Mordred nervously, before looking at Kairi again. "Here for another chat?"

"No, not really. Just a coincidence." Kairi drew from his cigarette. "I see that you have a friend? Who's name is..."

"Mitsuzuri Ayako." She said as she backed down a bit. "Pleased to meet you."

"Same here. Don't worry I don't bite." He laughed. "So, what are you doing?"

"We were discussing something. And you?" Mordred answered.

"Just exploring the city some more. The people though, tend to avoid me." He scoffed. "Anyway, can I have a private conversation with Mordred, please?"

Ayako looked uncertain at Mordred, who gave a nod. "Very well, I will go to the temple and discuss things with Issei and get it over with. Until next time, Mordred." She waved as he walked away.

"Yep. Let me know how it went. I'll be here tomorrow at 20 pm." Mordred informed her, to which she nodded before walking of.

"You know the time?" Kairi asked surprised. Mordred showed him her watch. "Ah, I see. You adapted quite quickly."

"You bet. It has been quite useful." Mordred admitted. "It's a shame that we didn't have these in my time."

"I can imagine."

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Mordred cut to the case.

Kairi's eyes looked sharply into hers. "I wanted to learn more about Esdelot."

Gawain and Kay returned home after spending the entire afternoon in the city. They were greeted by Taiga's cheerful banter first thing when they entered the dining room. "Hoy, Arturia-san, Kay. How was your day?"

"It was good. Thank you miss Taiga." Kay replied politely. "Does your father has his bike back?"

"Indeed. He was quite pleased, as always, with Shirou's repairs." She grabbed a beer can she had opened and took a big gulp.

"I think I will have some too." Gawain was quite thirsty. "Say, Shirou. Do you have some more in the fridge?"

"Sure. Help yourself." Shirou responded from the kitchen. "Do you guys know where Arturia is? I haven't seen her since this morning."

"No, We don't? Do you need something from her?" Gawain sat down next to Taiga with his can of beer.

"Not really. I was just wondering." Shirou said as he prepared to take out the cooking utensils.

"If you are wondering, she is currently taking a bath." It was Bedivere who walked answered, having heard their conversation from the hallway. "She will join us shortly. Oh, and Shirou." Bedivere walked up to him and whispered in his ear. "Merlin has beefed up the defenses of your house while you were away."

"He did? I didn't notice anything though." Shirou scratched his head.

"He did put quite some time in it. He guaranteed that it won't affect your daily life." Bediver explained.

"If that is so, then I am alright with it." Shirou approved. Bedivere nodded and sat down on Taiga's other side.

"What were you guys discussing, Bedi-chan?" Taiga giggled waving back and fort, her eyes gleaming curiously.

"Nothing of importance. I just wanted to know what he wanted to inform him of something Merlin did." Bedivere said. Taiga leaned in expectingly, but before she could press the issue, Bedivere noticed a big bag standing against the wall and took advantage of it. "My I ask what is in that bag?"

Taiga quickly grabbed the bag and put it on the table. "Just some plush toys." The next moment Arturia walked in. Hawing just finished her bath, her hair hang loose over her shoulders. Everybody looked at her quietly, taken in by her appearance.

"You look beautiful with your hair down." Kay remarked sincerely.

"Uhm? Ah, thank you, brother." Arturia answered slightly flushed. And she sat down next to Kay. "Good evening, Taiga. We missed you at breakfast."

"Aye. My father and grandfather wanted to discuss something with me." Taiga said.

"What about?" Bedivere inquired.

"Just some boring family business. Do you want to see what is in the back." She glazed over the topic and emptied the bag on the table. "I bought these for Shirou."

"You mean you got them from a Claw game." Shirou sighed. "A 100 yen each right?"

"Well, yeah." She laughed. "Your room is so empty. These will lively it up a bit. Don't you guys think so too?" Taiga looked at the others hopefully.

"Well, I guess so. They do look funny." Bedivere grabbed one which was modeled after a western dragon. It's big eyes and goofy grin, made him chuckle a bit. _If only real dragons were this cute._

"Let's see. We have also a cow, a horse, a crab, a hippo..." She started to sum them up.

"Uhm, now that we are on the topic of toys." Shirou reached behind the counter and procured a package wrapped in blue paper. He walked over to Arturia and handed it to her. She took it in surprise. "You said that you didn't want any presents, but I got you one anyway. Don't worry, it only cost 100 yen. I also got it from a Claw game, but I asked a clerk to wrap it in."

"Uhm, thank you." Arturia responded as she unwrapped it. It contained a plushy. "Oh, this is modeled after a baby lion, right?" She looked at it seemingly indifferent for a moment.

"A rather unconventional gift, I would say. " Gawain examined it from a distance. In his eyes, a plush toy would definitely not be something you give to a king.

"Uhh...well, she likes lions, so I thought..." He looked at Arturia, who still looked at the plushy rather questionable. "Do you dislike it?"

She turned to look at him and answered with a dead serious face. "No. I like it very much. Thank you very much, Shirou." She took it firmly in her arms, and a smile appeared on her face. Gawain stared at her with mild surprise. Kay and Bedivere on the other-hand were obviously pleased by this development. "I never had much opportunities to hold something small and cute. So this is a most precious gift. Thank you, Shirou."

"You're welcome." Shirou returned the smile, before heading back into the kitchen, to prepare diner.

"Wait! Is it your birthday today, Arturia?" Taiga raised her voice in surprise. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Actually my birthday is during spring." Arturia affirmed. "But something important caused it to be skipped."

_Yeah. I arrived in her time and they all ended up in our time. _Shirou sighed.

"That is unacceptable!" Taiga declared seriously. "Canceling a birthday? Not on my watch!" She was getting fired up.

"She's got that right." Bedivere agreed with a nod. "We should hold a celebration. Better late then never."

"Bedivere. That is not necessary. If you want to, then a simple meal would do." Arturia objected.

"I am sorry, sis. But I have to concur with them." Kay nodded heavily, his tone denied any argument. Even Gawain agreed.

Arturia realized that they wouldn't budge. "If everyone feels so strongly about it."

"That's settled. So what will we do for the party?" Taiga moved on to the next point. "We will definitely need a birthday cake of course. When is it?"

"I would suggest after twenty more days. That way, it won't interfere with your preparations for the school festival." Kay informed her.

"Two days after the school festival." Taiga thought about it. "Taking that into account cleaning up after the festival... Hmmm. Yup, I don't think that will be an issue. Speaking of which, will you guys be coming to the festival?"

"I have been hearing about this festival for a while now." Gawain drank some more beer. "I would be interested to come."

"That goes for the rest of us, too." Arturia straightened from anticipation. "We have never been to a school festival, so we are all curious to experience it first hand."

"Hear, hear." Gawain knocked on the table. "Can't wait to see it." And so they started to get fired up. The next moment Sakura and Merlin entered.

"Is there something to celebrate?" Sakura tilted her head. "We heard cheering."

"Ah, Sakura-chan. We are holding a birthday party for Arturia-chan." Taiga chirped exited.

"Oh, congratulations, Arturia-san." Sakura congratulated her. "I didn't realize it was your birthday?"

"Apparently her birthday was postponed due to some event." Taiga continued. "So, now we are holding one while she is here."

"W-When are you planning to do that? The festival is coming up, so there is a lot of work to be done." Sakura reminded her.

"I know. So I was thinking to do it after the festival. What do you think?" Taiga directed the question at Arturia.

"Ah, uhm. I'm fine with that." Arturia said hesitantly.

"Yosh. That is settled. I think around two days after the festival would do." Taiga was already enjoying it. "We can start thinking about what will do during the party."

Sakura smiled nervously, while Taiga was fantasizing. Her eye caught the plushy that Arturia held. "Do you like plushies, Arturia-san?"

Arturia looked at the plushy for a moment before answering. "I believe I do. I never had many opportunities to hold cute things. It was a gift from Shirou for my birthday."

"Ah, I see. That's senpai for you. I will go and help him to prepare dinner now. If you will excuse me." Sakura said before joining Shirou in the kitchen. In her heart however, she felt a little jealous of Arturia.


	26. Chapter 25

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 25: A reunion and an audition

"So, if I understand correctly, she just gave you the information?" Waver paced around the room. "Isn't this Esdelot her subordinate?"

Sisigou drew from his cigarette and leaned back in the armchair. "That depends on how you look at it. The guy was brought into the fold by Morgan. Mordred however would prefer to cut him down to size. The only reason she didn't was because Morgan had use for him."

"That explains a lot, but still..." Waver took out a cigarette of his own. "No, if you take into account the kidnapping he tried, she probably wanted some insurance, just in case."

"That was most likely the reason. She has a sound head, that's for sure." Kairi grinned.

Waver sat himself down in the chair opposite of Kairi. He exhaled the smoke and with a brooding frown looked Kairi in the eye. "And? Do you think you could take him if it came down to it?"

They arrived at the main issue. Kairi looked at the ceiling and drew heavily from his cigarette. "I can, though I probably won't come out of it unscathed. The guy is far more powerful than the vast majority of contemporary magi, but he has his weaknesses. I would have been more concerned, had he been weaker than me."

Waver frowned from confusion, unable to understand Kairi's reasoning. "What do you mean by that?"

"Almost every Magus tends to look down on those who they perceive weaker than themselves. This in turn makes them more careless and predictable." Kairi told him. Waver could readily agree with that.

"What do you think of Mordred?"

Kairi was a bit surprised by the question. "She is most interesting. I don't really understand why Arthur denounced her, but in my opinion she wouldn't make a bad king." A wild grin appeared on his face. "I like her personality very much, too. Confident, proud, strong willed... and a strong drive to fight."

"I am starting to get the feeling the two of you are like peas in a pot." Waver raised his hands.

"Hahahaha. You really think so?" Kairi laughed at these words. Waver merely raised an eyebrow. "Well, whatever. The information she gave me was solid. I think I will be visiting the church tomorrow."

"Yes. We haven't talked with the Church's overseer yet. We need to know what the church is planning to do regarding recent events. Hopefully the guy will be willing to cooperate." Waver rubbed his temples. The Church and the Association were never on best terms with each other.

"Ah, yes. That too." Kairi put out his cigarette. "And while we are there, I will ask for a usable crypt."

"Why do you need a crypt?" Waver asked, blinking in surprise for a moment. "Oh, yeah. You're a necromancer. Do you think we will be here that long?"

"You've probably felt it yourself, right? Arthur and Mordred won't be persuaded so easily. Arthur would return immediately if Mordred would return, but that is very unlikely. Mordred has told me her wish and I know that she is determined to have it granted." Kairi revealed. "Without a doubt, she won't return before obtaining the Grail."

Waver felt a headache coming up. He let his head hang. "That's bad. If she has her wish to be king granted, it would thoroughly alter the course of history."

"That is not her wish." Kaira stated calmly. Waver's head shot back up.

"Huh? What did you mean, her wish isn't to become king?" His eyes were wide with surprise. "She started her rebellion for the sake of seizing the throne."

"Indeed, but I'm starting to think that that was because she had no other alternative, or something along those lines."

"Ohh, that is interesting to know. But it is still a reason to stop her, as the wish will most certainly alter history. She has to fulfill her original part in it. Her rebellion..."

"I know." Kairi sighed. "I'm just saying that it will be very difficult to achieve. On that note, you have already informed the Association of this development, right?"

"Yeah. And they are not pleased. Our orders have changed. The first priority is now to send them back to their time, using any means necessary." Waver took out another cigarette. "Since that we cannot harm them, we have to find a diplomatic solution. However, they have granted us permission to use violence if everything else fails. Though they hope that it won't come to that."

"I don't think we can do much if we can't persuade them." Kairi scoffed. "And use violence? Are they idiots? We are talking about the knights of the Round Table. They fought way more powerful opponents than us. They would squash us like bugs. And then there is Merlin and this Esdelot."

"Calm down. If it comes to that, they will send reinforcements." Waver assured him, though his voice betrayed his doubt. "An elite team is being put together, commanded by Barthomeloi Lorelei herself."

"The Queen herself? Even so..."

"I know. Even then our chances would be slim." Waver agreed. If it ever came to that point, it would most certainly end in disaster. "Any ideas on how we are going to handle this?"

"Not one." Kairi admitted. "At least not a feasible one. If there was a solution, I would say that we would have to disassemble the Grail. Take away their reason for being here. But..."

Kairi didn't need to continue. The Grail is far too valuable to the Association. Especially to the Einzberns, who hold significant influence in the Association. They would never allow it.

"Well then. For now lets just go and talk to the priest tomorrow. I will think about how to approach this for a while, before I go to bed." Waver put out his cigarette and walked to his room. "Good night to you."

"Good night." Kairi responded. He walked to the window and looked out over the city. They will have to tread careful now, for they are walking on thin ice.

Kairi examined the graveyard by the Church at dawn. There seemed to be one or two crypts which held some potential for his plans. He felt Waver's gaze prodding him so he stopped looking. The courtyard in front of the church was well kept and decorated with many flowerbeds. The whole felt very serene. A few people just left the Church after the morning ceremony ended. They made a wide pass around the duo. Kairi merely chuckled.

The church was already empty, except for the priest. He greeted them when he saw them enter. "Good day, to you. To what do I owe this visit from two members of the Association?" Waver and Kairi looked at each other with meaningful eyes.

"You know very well why we are here." Kairi pointed out sharply.

"Ha, naturally. You are here regarding King Arthur." The man smirked. "But before we proceed... Kotomine Kirei, pleased to meet you."

Waver felt nothing pleasant about it, but nonetheless introduced himself. "Lord El-Melloi II, instructor from the Clock Tower."

"Sisigou Kairi."

"Nice to meet you. Hmmm, I must say... you look very familiar." Kirei remarked as he eyed Waver, trying to recall his memory. "Have we met before?"

"I don't think we did." Waver would have remembered someone like him.

"You two never did meet face to face." A voice rang out from behind the priest. They all looked at the back where a man appeared from. His overwhelming presence and dignified behavior were enough to make many a man take a step back. "It's been nine years, hasn't it? Rider's Master."

"So that was it. You were Rider's master." Kirei nodded slightly. "The young man who cast himself into that bloody ritual to prove himself...that was you."

Waver was stunned. He had suspected it, but never thought it to be possible. Gilgamesh was still alive. After a few tense moments, Waver managed to regain part of his composure. "How have you been, King Gilgamesh? Have you been enjoying your stay?" Waver inquired politely.

"This time has it's perks." He admitted. "And what about you? Still loyal to your King?"

"Very much. Presently I am an instructor at the Clock Tower. And I am quite good at it, if I do say so myself."

"Just an instructor? Disappointing, but I guess that's the limit of you capabilities." Gilgamesh smiled.

"I would beg to differ. From what I have heard, all his students have reached the rank of Grand." Kairi noted.

"Oh, that's quite an achievement." Kirei remarked.

"I may not be a top level magus, but I can at least imagine the perfect way for my students to reach their full potential." Waver admitted. "But on the subject of the Holy Grail War... If you don't mind me asking Great King..."

"How am I still present?" Gilgamesh arrogantly finished the question. "Well... when the Grail was destroyed I got dowsed in its contents and consequently was reincarnated. I have been living here with my former Master ever since."

"Thank you for answering my question. I know that you thwarted that kidnapping the other day. Thank you for that."

"Those meat dolls had the audacity to lay their hands on those little mongrels, as such they were punished." Gilgamesh stated matter-of-factly.

"That's quite surprising. I must admit that I never thought your highness would involve himself in philanthropy."

"It's nothing of the sort. I am the Law and if you break the law, I will punish you."

"I thought as much." Waver nodded. "It was because of your intervention with the kidnapping that we learned of your presence. We were subsequently sent here to investigate."

"More accurately, I allowed for that Magus to inform you." Gilgamesh divulged. "I was fully aware that that mongrel was watching it all and I decided to let him live to tell the tale." Waver stared at him confused.

"Really now? Why would you want to do that?" Kairi posed the question on their minds. "Surely, doing so would only attract unwanted attention from the Association."

"Well, because it would be more interesting that way." Gilgamesh grinned. "If the Association came to investigate, they would obviously learn about them being here. The resulting situations would be most certainly provide some entertainment."

"Entertainment?" Kairi grinned predatorial, disgust was heard in his voice. This guy thought that a conflict between the Association and the Knights of the Round Table would be amusing? Kairi started to dislike him more and more. _And here I thought that Mordred was haughty._

Gilgamesh paid no heed to it and sat himself down on one of the benches. "So, Do you have any plans to resolve this?" He asked, smiling arrogantly, knowing full well that they had yet to come up with a solution.

"None at this time. But there is something I would like to ask you, Kotomine Kirei." Waver looked at him.

Kirei tilted his head slightly. "Ohhh. What is it that you want to know?"

"How long have you been aware of their presence?" He pointed at him accusingly. "And on that note, I am certain that you haven't inform the Church yet, either."

Kirei grinned boldly. "I have been found out. To answer your question, about nine days now. And yes, I haven't informed the Church, yet."

Waver felt frustration building up inside. Just what is this guy up to? Kairi too was going over the possibilities. His keen eyes following the priest's every move. Gilgamesh followed it all with an amused smile. "Why?" Waver cut to the chase.

"Because it is very interesting, of course. That is a feeling that Gilgamesh and I share." He chuckled.

"You guys make a good match. No wonder that he was your Servant." Kairi growled lowly, while pointing at Gilgamesh, who quickly took offense to the gesture.

"You dare point at the king, mongrel?" Gilgamesh said with a low voice. Golden riples appeared next to the king, as a sword started to appear. "You may prove to provide some entertainment in this. But only some. I won't warn you again."

"Have it your way." Kairi turned his direction back to Kirei. _This frickin King of Heroes sure has some long toes._

"That's odd." Waver looked mildly confused. "I am sure that you were Tohsaka's Servant. And consequently that his Servant was Assassin."

"You have made an excellent deduction, Waver." Gilgamesh admitted, the sword disappearing again. "It is true that Tokiomi summoned me. But it really shouldn't be that strange."

"I guess not. So you chose Kotomine as your master when he lost Assassin."

"Indeed. Tokiomi was insufferable. Besides, he was planning to use his Command Spell to kill me. Because Kirei was his apprentice, it was easy for him to kill him."

"I understand. But now we are on the topic of the War... Who was the last to face you? Berserker or Saber?" Waver was rather curious about that, though he knew that there was only one logical possibility.

"Saber of course. Berserker fell at her hand, as he should have. It's only natural for an owner to kill his own dog when it's rabid." An amused smile appeared on his lips.

"Her own dog? So, Berserker was one of her Knights of the Round Table, then?"

"Indeed. The Servant of the Matou's, Sir Lancelot. It must have been quite a shock for her to see her best friend in such a state." Gilgamesh clearly enjoyed the thought.

"She saved them, but never led them." Waver quoted the words which Iskandar had once spoken to Arturia. "That must have been a shock indeed."

"All very nice memories for sure, but can we return to the issue at hand?" Kairi cut the conversation short. "You didn't inform the Church..."

"You should see it from the bright side. As long as I don't inform them, you magi have the run of the place." Kirei stated. Kairi felt as if he was mocking him. "To be honest it would be troublesome if the Church intervened. If both the Church and the Association would start to intervene, it can only lead to disaster. Both sides would try to find a way to force them back through the portal. As things stand, King Arthur and the knights would only return if they manage to force Mordred back. And she clearly has no intention of doing so until she obtains the Grail. And there is also a chance that members of both groups will try to gain benefits for themselves, which will add even more to our predicament. And that is only part of the possible problems which could occur from this situation."

Kairi and Waver looked at each other with worried expressions. Kirei had made some valid points, even though it was just to further his own agenda. "It seems that they understand the situation well enough. Well, that would prevent from this thing from ending too soon. Hmmpf. I will certainly be able to spend some time with my lion." Gilgamesh spoke with mild anticipation.

"Your lion?" Kairi asked surprised. He looked at Waver, but he too, didn't know what Gilgamesh was talking about.

"Arturia, of course. That woman has proven worthy of my love." Gilgamesh informed them as he stood up. "Though, she has yet to become the one who I truly desire."

"You love her?" Waver flapped out, his eyes wide from surprise.

"Naturally. Her ideals … and her stubbornness are what makes her so enthralling. After all, there should be at least one who defies me. She has earned enough of my love to be my bride." He said it as if she had no choice in the matter.

Waver involuntarily clenched his jaws. Gilgamesh obsession with King Arthur is a dangerous one. There is no way that she would agree to that. But then again, He realized that this love would disappear should she ever give in. It was her defiance what attracts Gilgamesh to her. "Well, then. She is quite fortunate to earn your love." Waver managed to smile. Of course, he didn't really mean it.

This didn't bother Gilgamesh though as he brushed it aside. "Whatever. I believe that we are done here for today, wouldn't you say."

"Guess so. For now at least. Thank you for your time." Waver thanked them politely.

"I do have one more thing to ask." Kairi stepped forward.

"What is it that you want to ask?" Kirei looked him in the eye.

"What are you planning to do with the situation?" Kairi didn't expect a truthful answer, but there are things that could be discerned even from lies.

"Nothing whatsoever." Kirei said monotone. "I am merely interested in seeing how this will unfold." Kairi didn't believe him one bit. And neither did Waver. "But if things get really out of hand, I will have no choice to inform the Church. In which case, I will inform you about it. Where do you stay exactly?"

"At the Hyatt hotel. You can leave a message at the counter." Kairi didn't feel like revealing in which room they slept.

"I will. May god be with you." Kirei smirked, his eyes shining with expectation. Waver and Kairi left the church to return to their hotel.

"That man is dangerous." Kairi didn't need to say it. It was clear as day to them. "We will make preparations, should the time come."

"That we should. I will inform the Association of our conversation and will ask for any information they can give on him." Kairi gave Waver a firm nod.

"Yeeez! Now I won't be able to use a crypt." Kairi lamented.

Ayako was busy holding the auditions for the play at the dojo. She already had most roles cast, but she still had to talk to Issei about Mordred. Mordred would visit the school later today, so she would have to handle this in time. "Hey, Mitsuzuri-san." Ayako turned around to see Issei entering. Speak of the devil.

"Hey, Mr student council president. What are you doing here?"

"I had a moment to spare and I came to check on your preparations, out of curiosity. Speaking of which, how is your play coming along?" He adjusted his glasses.

"Hmmm. The making of the decor is on schedule and I have already most roles cast." She informed him. "But that's some great timing. I have something to discus with you."

"Ho. What is it that you need to discuss?" Issei grew more serious.

"I wanted to talk about inviting a guest star for one of the roles." She cut right to the chase. "I am planning to have Mordred play the role of the foreign knight."

Issei's brow furrowed. "Hmmm. That girl? I personally don't have anything against her. But allowing an outsider to participate..." He paused to ponder for a moment. "This is something that requires permission from the teachers. I advise that we go and discuss this with Fujimura-sensei."

"I was planning to do so from the start. But at the very least, I have your approval." Issei nodded thoughtfully.

"While there are some things that concern me, I don't believe her to be harbor any ill intent. So yes. I approve."

"Thanks a bunch, Mr Student Council President." Ayako appreciated his approval. ""Do you know where she is right now? I am expecting Mordred to be here soon, so I want this settled as soon as possible."

"I know that you are on a tight schedule, but you should still arrange this first with the teachers before bringing her over." Issei chided her.

"I know. But I am certain that Fujimura-sensei will give her consent. She is already acquainted with Mordred, so..."

"Did someone call me by name?" Issei and Ayako looked at the door to see Mordred standing there. "Yo. I arrived a little earlier. Hope you don't mind."

"Ah, Mordred. Here already? I still have to discuss things with Taiga." Ayako began.

"No need for that." Taiga chirped as she entered the next moment. "I ran into her on the way here and she told me about the situation. I don't see any problems with it. It's O.K." She gave her a double thumbs up.

"Looks like it's been approved." Issei couldn't help but give a slight sigh.

"Thanks, Fujimura-sensei. I knew I could count on you." Ayako simply knew that it would play out this way, knowing Taiga. "Shall we proceed then, Mordred? I would like to see how you would perform on stage first."

"You want to gauge my skills first, I see. It's only natural." She replied with understanding.

"Thanks again. Why don't you stand over there and read some of these lines for starters." She handed the papers to Mordred, who supplely took them from her hand.

"Prepare to be amazed, you guys." Several others had gathered to see her perform.

Mordred skimmed over the lines a few times, before turning to face the small crowd. "It's been two days since I arrived in this far of land..." Her voice was clear and strong as she spoke and there were no traces of nervousness. She was quite apt at speaking before an audience. "...and I feel that I did right in coming here. The culture of this country, currently embroiled in civil war, couldn't be more different from mine. But I can tell that it is a rich and beautiful culture. Surely my horizon will be broadened beyond measure!"

Ayako, Issei and Taiga were visibly impressed. Mordred spoke the words flawlessly and her posture was strong and resolute. Ayako was happy that she had chosen Mordred for this role. She let her continue for five more minutes. When she was done she even received a small applause.

"That was great, Mordred. You have a real knack for this." Ayako complimented her. "Did you do this kind of stuff before?"

"Hmmm. Something like that." Mordred beamed with pride. "I had to speak in front of groups before."

"That explains a thing or two." Issei remarked. "You certainly have a talent for it."

"Now that that is settled, shall we proceed to discuss rehearsal times? We don't have much time before the festival and we also need to chose a costume for you. So we don't have the the luxury to sit around." Ayako urged.

"That's right, Mitsuzuri-kun. I do believe we have some costumes lying around from previous plays. We could look if there are some that we can use." Taiga suggested. "I believe they are stored somewhere in the basement."

"That's a great idea, Fujimura-sensei. I'll ask a few people to help carry them." Ayako started to look around for some helpers.

"No need for that. We can just ask Shirou to help us." Taiga giggled mischievously. "Do you know where he is right now, Ryuudou-kun?"

"I believe he was busy helping the track and field club." Issei replied stiffly, feeling a bit guilty. "If you will excuse me, sensei. I still want to finish the preliminary analysis for next year's budgets and optimize some things about the current budgets."

"Still busy, Ryuudou-kun? You should take it easy from time to time, you know." Taiga reminded him. "But I guess that we can count ourself lucky with such a serious and capable Student Council President."

"Uhum. Thanks for your praise, Fujimura-sensei." Issei blushed slightly.

"So you handle money?" Mordred interrupted, to which Issei nodded.

"I must see to it that every student organization gets an appropriate budget for the year." Issei admitted.

"That reminds me of the stingy Kay." Mordred clacked her tongue.

"Kay?"

"Ha! You mean Arturia's foster brother, don't you?" Taiga concluded.

"That's the one. The guy is good with money, but he is weak with the sword. Pfu. Counting money is all he's good for. But he is really good with finances, I'll admit. But that's all he's good at. That and smooth talking." She laughed.

The three of them stared at Mordred for a moment. "Really deep issues." Taiga murmured silently against herself. "But it is true what she says. I recall them mentioning it several times, how good he is with money. Maybe you should sit down and talk with him, Ryuudou-kun. Maybe he can teach you a thing or two."

Issei pondered about it for a moment. "Maybe I will. He resides at Shirou's place right now with Arturia-san, right? I'll ask Shirou if he wants to introduce us."

"That's settled then. Now, let us go to him before he changes locations." Taiga thrust her fist in the air.

Sakura entered, along with Shinji."Did something good happen? Oh, good day, Mordred-san." She greeted her with a smile when she saw her. Shinji scowled and kept his distance from her. Mordred smiled back and nodded silently, after which Sakura turned her attention back to Ayako. "Are you done with the casting, Mitsuzuri-senpai?"

"That's impossible, Sakura. They need me to play the role of the western knight. There is no-one else who can." Shinji boasted, brushing through his hair. "Why should we hold rehearsals when it is so obvious that I am the most suitable for the role."

"Actually, I just gave the role to Mordred over here." Ayako stated flatly, which Issei and Taiga affirmed with a small nod.

"I see.-Hééééé? You what!?" He gasped, his face contorting from anger and disbelief. His eyes went from Ayako to Mordred and back again. "What do you mean 'she got the role'? This isn't even allowed!"

"No, it is. I just gave it my consent." Taiga explained. "No need to worry, Matou-kun. There are still a couple of roles left."

"You can't be serious, Sensei! I am the one who is supposed to play one of the lead roles and yet it is given to this outsider." He shouted indignant, casting an angry glare at Mordred, who was getting annoyed by him.

"Sorry, Matou-kun. But the decision has been made." Taiga said firmly as a teacher should. "She was good at it too."

"Argh! If that is your decision, Sensei." Shinji gritted his teeth and walked off. Some poor underclassman will probably become the target of his frustration. The others watched as he walked away.

"Fujimura-sensei, you know that he will vent his frustration on others now." Ayako sighed.

"Hmmmm. Yeah, I will keep an eye on him." Taiga was always rather childish, but she took her job as a teacher very serious. "Mitsuzuri-san, you can go and check on the costumes. They are stored in the basement on the east side. You can borrow Shirou for that. Here is the key." She smiled rather childishly as she handed her the key to the basement. "Will you go and check on the progress of the decor, Matou-chan?"

"Yes, Fujimura-sensei. Leave it to me." She turned to Mordred. "Looking forward to work with you Mordred-san." Sakura smiled while making a small bow.

"The pleasure is all mine." Mordred responded politely.

"Now, let's go Mordred." Ayako led the way.

"I'll be going walking with you part of the way. I have something to ask Shirou anyway." Issei followed suit.

Shirou just finished repairing the equipment of the track-and-field club. He was gathering his tools, when Yukika appeared next to him. "Thanks again for helping us, Emiya-san. Here have some water." She handed him a bottle of water with a heart warming smile.

"Thank you Saegusa-san." He accepted the water gratefully. "So, what are you guys gonna do for the festival?"

"Ah, nothing special. We are going to do a small, traditional restaurant." Saegusa revealed. "Maki-chan's mother has some great recipes."

"Sounds delicious. I will certainly come and try some." Shirou promised.

"Please do." Her eyes widened a bit at something behind Shirou, who quickly turned around. Oh, Mitsuzuri-san, Ryuudou-san. Even Mo-san." Yukika was surprised to see Mordred in particular.

Mordred felt slightly annoyed from being called Mo-san, but didn't complain. "Yo, guys. Haven't seen you in a while."

"Yo. How are you Mordred? And more importantly, what are you doing here? Outsiders aren't allowed on school-grounds." Shirou remarked.

"She got permission from Fujimura-sensei. I invited her to play a part in our play." Ayako smiled triumphantly. "She has proven to be a good performer, too."

"So you are participating in the Mitsuzuri-san's play, Mo-san. Congratulations." Yukika congratulated her. "Which role are you playing, if I may ask?"

"Not telling you. You'll just have to come and see the play." Mordred replied firmly.

"At any rate, we are going to fetch some old costumes and Fujimura-sensei told us to ask you for help." Ayako cut to the chase.

"Hmmmm. Not really a surprise there." Shirou somehow saw it coming. "Do you need some help with something too, Issei?"

"Not really, I just wanted to ask if you could set up a meeting for me with Arturia-san's step-brother." Issei asked straightforward.

"Huh? Sure, I can do that, no problem. But why do you need to see him?" Shirou was rather curious about that.

"Well, you see..."

"He heard me talking about how good Kay is with money and wants to ask him some advise." Mordred cut in.

"Uh...What she said." Issei grew a little indignant from Mordred's interruption. "Could you do that for me?"

"Sure thing. I will let you know tomorrow. Is that OK?" Shirou consented.

"Thank you, Shirou. I really appreciate it, Katsu." He made a praying gesture. "That was all I came to do. Now then. It's time that I return to my duties."

"Until later." Shirou said. Issei nodded and walked away. "And you wanted me to help you carry the costumes, right?"

"Yep." Was Ayako's answer.

"Fine. Let me just put away my tools first, OK." Shirou packed up his toolbox and started walking. "Where did you say, the costumes were?"

"In the basement on the east side of school." Ayako informed him.

"Alright then. See you in five minutes."

Five minutes later, Shirou entered the basement room where Ayako and Mordred had already found the costumes. It looks like they had already found some usable ones. "Ah, there you are Shirou. Could you help me take some of these clothes here?" Ayako asked as she was going through the clothing rack.

"Sure thing. Which ones do you need?"

"These two, this one and that one." She pointed at the clothes she wanted. "We're lucky. All these clothes are covered in plastic, so they are pretty much clean. Saves us the trouble of cleaning them. How are things one your end Mordred?"

Mordred had been rummaging through some boxes on the other side of the room looked up. "I believe that I have found those samurai clothes you described, but there is no armor to be found."

"Armor? What kind of armor are you seeking exactly?" Shirou inquired as he draped the clothes over his arm.

"We are looking for some western style armor for Mordred's role as a knight. Or anything that can be used as such." Ayako told him with a sigh. "But I already had a suspicion that we wouldn't find any. Plays are quite rare after all. I hope we can make some in time for the festival."

An idea popped up in Shirou's mind. "Hmm, I think that problem can be easily fixed."

"Really? Let's hear it then." Ayako locked her eyes on him in anticipation. Mordred titled her head and wondered what Shirou had in mind.

"If you want armor for Mordred, then you don't need to make any..."

"Because I have my own." Mordred finished him. "I should have thought of that my self." She reprimanded herself.

"Ah, yes. I remember. You carried that armor in a large bag didn't you?" Ayako was happy with the solution. "Can you bring it over, then?"

"Of course. I'll have it brought over immediately."

"You'll have it brought over by one of your comrades?" Ayako asked. "Hey, you should totally ask them to watch the play. Don't you think?"

This made Mordred think for a moment. That might not be such a bad idea. There rest of the group was constantly waiting in the castle, save for some occasional scouting trips and patrols through the woods. With so little to do, they will get restless. Which in return will lead to them doing stupid things. Her father and the knights don't know most them, not counting Dunstan, Giraud, Esdelot and a couple of others. Granting them access to the city would allow them some relief. "Maybe I will. I'll go make the call right now. It will take them some time to get here though."

"How long will it take?" Shirou inquired.

"Around an hour maybe." Mordred answered. "Don't worry, this is nothing for them." She added before Ayako could speak. "Why don't you go and take these back to the dojo? I'll be there shortly after calling them.

"Sure thing. I'm looking forward to seeing your armor for the first time." Ayako took the rest of the clothes. "Are you coming Shirou?"

"Coming." He moved closer to Mordred and whispered. "Are you planning to call that Dunstan-guy too?"

Mordred frowned a bit. "Not really. But there would be no need to worry even if I did. The guy is a real menace, but one with a sound head on his shoulders. He wouldn't do anything that won't benefit him or would jeopardize his health. And he knows that if he tries anything, I will cut him down." She assured him.

Shirou found no reason not to trust her, so he nodded in confirmation. "What are you two doing over there?" Ayako interrupted. "I am going to close the door, so let's go. I' have to return the keys to Fujimura-sensei."

"Nothing. Just talking a bit." Mordred replied as she walked past Shirou, who quickly followed.

Mordred quickly found a quiet spot and used the medallion to ask Giraud to have someone bring her armor. And a short hour later, Giraud and Beves arrived at the gates. "You both came?"

"Yeah. I was curious about what ye wanted yer armor for. Ye didn't sound like ye had any problems going on, so... and there is the fact that I haven't really left the castle since we got here." Giraud's eyes wandered over the school building. "So this is a 'school', hé. Doesn't look bad at all. Anyhow, here is yer armor." he handed her the sack containing the armor.

"Thanks, Giraud. When you return to the castle, inform the men that they are allowed to enter the city for their leisure." Mordred declared casually. Giraud looked at her sceptically.

"I guess to ease their tension from having nothing to do, right? But still, is this wise, Sir Mordred?"

"Hmm. Have them take turns and go in small groups. That makes it more manageable. We will have Esdelot keeping an eye out with his familiars." Mordred explained. "How much treasure have we brought with us? I have a personal stash, but for the rest..."

"We have about a thousand gold pieces and several gems at our disposal." Beves accounted. "I think it will suffice for the time being. We have enough food to last us a month or two, so that won't be a problem either."

"Very well. I will have some of it exchanged for this country's currency. You can buy some goods for the men to keep their morale up. I know a place which sells quite the collection of liquor."

"The men will certainly like that." Giraud laughed. "But regarding me question..."

"Why I needed my armor? Well...this girl I have met has invited me to play a part in her play as a knight, and since I have a real armor..." Mordred's voice was surprisingly a little timid for some reason.

"Ye decided to use it for the play." Giraud finished. Mordred gave a slight nod. "Mind if we come and watch?"

"No. You may come. I will let you know when it is."

"Ah, Mo-san." A voice sounded from behind her.

""Mo-san?"" Beves and Giraud looked at each other in disbelief before snickering.

"Stop it you two." Mordred growled, blushing. "Ah, Yukika. And you brought your friends too."

"Yo, Mo-san." Makidera grinned. "I heard that you will be participating in Mitsuzuri's play. Is that true?" She asked loudly.

"No need to ask that, Kaede. Mitsuzuri-san had confirmed it when we saw her a minute ago." Kane reminded her. "so, Mordred-san. Are you going to introduce us to your friends?"

"Sure thing. This Giraud." She pointed at him. "And this is Beves."

"Pleasure to meet ye lasses." He greeted them jovially.

"Lasses?" Kaede cringed slightly. "What kind of ancient dialect are you using?"

"They certainly seem unusual." Kane examined them. Their clothes weren't really noteworthy. Giraud was wearing a black jeans and heavy boots, together with a camo pattern jacket. Beves wore a blue jeans, a brown turtleneck and black sneakers. It was their demeanor that strikes her as a bit odd. "My name is Himuro Kane. Pleased to meet you."

"My name is Saegusa Yukika." Her beaming smile made Beves blush a little.

"Uh...Well, I am Kaede Makidera, the Black Panther of Homura. So you are friends of Mo-san." Beves and Giraud eyed each other curiously for a moment at Makidera calling herself Black Panther.

"Stop calling me that, please." Mordred sighed embarrassed. "My name is Mordred. But yes, you could call them my friends."

"Hahaha. Thanks for that. But it is time for us to leave. We have still some things to do. We will be seeing ye again, lasses." He laughed. "See you later...Mo-san." Mordred grumbled, causing Giraud to chuckle more. "Come on, Beves."

"Right behind you, boss. Until next time Yukika." He waved as he quickly followed Giraud.

"Until next time, Beves-san." Yukika waved.

"Looks like you have an admirer." Kane grinned.

"What do you mean, Kane-chan? Are you referring to Beves-san" Yukika asked bashfully.

"Of course. He only mentioned your name when he left. And the way he behaved upon seeing you. I think it is pretty clear." Kane teased her.

"Whaaa? Yuki-chi, not fair. Getting ahead of us like that." Makidera complained loudly.

"It is nothing of the sort, Maki-chan." Yukika defended. "We have only just met. Don't start insinuating things, Kane-chan."

"Calm down, Yukika. I was just teasing you. Though he definitely seemed interested in you." Kane spoke calmly.

'Do you want me to set up a meeting?" Mordred Jumped in.

"Ah, I...No need for that, Mo-san." Yukika replied hurriedly.

"Too bad for Beves then." Mordred shrugged her shoulders and swung the sack over her shoulder. "I'll be returning to the dojo."

"Wait!" Makidera stopped her. "We are coming with you. I want to see what that armor looks like." her eyes sparkled.

"So, Beves. Interested in the little lass?" Giraud poked. "I thought you were into Sir Mordred."

"No, I...I admire Sir Mordred. And she is indeed very beautiful, but she is out of my reach. No, even if she wasn't, she wouldn't ever marry someone. I just know."

Giraud furrowed his brows. "That might just be true." His grin reappeared. "But that Yukika-lass on the other hand..."

"Boss, please...I..." He started to blush profoundly. "Is it that obvious?" Giraud merely smiled. Bashful, Beves followed him.


	27. Chapter 26

**AN: I wanted to thank all my readers for staying with me for so long. Especially those who wrote the more extensive reviews. This because they often gave me insight on my mistakes. **

**One of which was adding/using too many side characters and drawing out the plot too much. Because of this I decided to post my remaining chapters up to chapter 31 before the end of the week. Chapter 32 will finally mark the beginning of the Holy Grail War, which I will try to post before the end of the month.**

**Thanks for your patience until now and happy reading.**

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**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

_Chapter 26: Training and scheming_

"Wow! This thing is badass." Makidera marveled at the horned helmet. "It looks really heavy though. Even this helmet alone..."

"I have to agree." Taiga looked at the bag which contained the rest of the armor. She grabbed the bag and tried to lift it up. "Really heavy. I would guess forty kilos at least." She put the bag back down.

"If we look at your physique, that would mean that this armor is about as heavy as yourself." Kane surmised. "That can't be healthy."

"How so? I have worn this armor for ages and it never bothered me. Well, it feels a bit restrictive, but otherwise it's fine. One eventually gets used to it." Mordred dismissed it casually. "Look, I'll show you. Give me that." She took the helmet from Makidera and the bag and went into the changing room. "Be right back." And she closed the door.

"Is she really going to put that thing on?" Makidera doubted it.

"Seems that way." Yukika answered. "I'm kinda curious to see it." Sakura who stood next to her nodded quite eagerly, too.

"See what?"

They turned around to see Tohsaka. "Ah, Tohsaka-senpai. What are you doing here?" Sakura wondered. "Weren't you helping out with the Takoyaki stand?"

"Yes. But I came to see what these three were up to." She pointed at the trio. "And I heard that Mordred was performing in the play, which made me curious." She turned to face Ayako.

"That's true. I invited her to play a major role. and it looks like she will do just fine. She is now in there putting on her armor." Ayako pointed with her thumb at the girls changing room.

"Her armor? Interesting." Tohsaka brushed her hair and looked at the door. It would indeed be interesting to see Mordred in her full suit of armor. They began some idle chatter until Mordred exited the room fully covered in her armor.

"Hoho! Wow! That is just awesome." Taiga exclaimed, almost going wild over the armor.

"Most certainly. It is really intimidating." Kane agreed, while taking a step back. "Definitely not something you would want to run into at night."

Makidera moved behind Taiga warily. "Ah, it is really awesome."

"Are you scared, Kaede?" Tohsaka tease despite being a little intimidated. Donning her armor she felt very formidable.

"It looks so real. Ah, it is real, isn't it?" Yukika was in awe. "It looks really great though."

"Indeed. Really amazing." Sakura spoke softly.

Mordred enjoyed their reactions with a grin. "Of course it is. And it offers top-notch protection. Nobody has ever pierced it." She proclaimed with her usual haughtiness. "What do you think, Ayako? Does it fulfill your expectations?"

"It certainly does. Though, we don't need you to wear the full thing." Mordred lifted an eyebrow. "Your breastplate, shoulder armor and boots will suffice." To Mordred it sounded a bit like a downer, but she didn't mind.

"So, I only need part of the armor? Very well, if that is what you wish."

"Say, Mordred." Mordred shifted her attention to Sakura, examined the armor with interest. "Why do you have this armor, if you don't mind me asking?"

Mordred narrowed her eyes a bit and racked her brain. What was she going to say.?" The answer came to her suddenly. "It is something of a tradition. The roots of my family are old and many of my ancestors were knights. So it's to honor the tradition." Which wasn't a total lie. Her lineage had a long line of knights.

"I can relate to that." Makidera sighed.

"Oh? So your family is very traditional?" Mordred surmised.

"Yeah. We live in a traditional house and my parents are very keen on tradition." Makidera gave a long sigh. "Not that I hate it, but it can be bothersome sometimes."

"You should see her at home." Yukika spoke seriously. "Maki-chan is very lively, but when she is dressed up in a kimono and acts according to tradition, she is like a completely different person."

"It's really odd. At home she acts all polite. Normally she is a tomboy, but she transforms into traditional Japanese beauty at home." Kane continued.

"You can say that again." Tohsaka agreed.

"That sounds interesting." Mordred's curiosity was piqued. "I should definitely pay you a visit at home."

"Please don't!" Makidera raised her voice slightly. "It's embarrassing." She cast her eyes down, blushing.

"Now I definitely want to see it." Mordred smirked, causing Makidera to panic slightly.

"It will leave a lasting impression. I can guarantee you that." Tohsaka promised with a mischievous grin.

"Oy, Tohsaka. Don't encourage her." Makidera pleaded. "I will treat you to takoyaki if you talk her out of it."

"I am sorry, Kaede-san. But I don't think that is possible." Tohsaka said, based on the current image she had of Mordred's personality.

"She got that right." Mordred affirmed. "You better prepare yourself, Makidera. I will visit your home. Quiver in fear." She laughed. Makidera gritted her teeth and cast her eyes down in defeat. The school bell rang.

"Regardless. Himuro, I left some instructions for you and your friends in our classroom. Please make sure that you complete them in time." Tohsaka requested.

"I will, Tohsaka." Kane responds short.

"Glad that I can count on you." Tohsaka nodded.

"May I ask what you are going to do?" Kane asked abruptly, before Tohsaka has a chance to leave. Tohsala looked at her blankly. "You usually stay longer to help during the preparation for the festival or other events, but I have noticed that you leave for something else on occasion."

"Why so curious all of a sudden, Himuro?"

"Sorry. My bad habit is rearing its head again. It's just that, on occasion you seem rather suspicious doing it." Kane stated the facts.

"Oy, Himuro. You're really are nosy aren't you." Ayako reprimanded her. "Though, you do have a point there. I too, wonder from time to time why. But because I trust Tohsaka I never bothered to ask, I guess." She admitted.

_Of course, it's suspicious. I have to cover up all those portals. That reminds me... I have only found two of them in the city the last couple of weeks._ Tohsaka thought annoyed. "Well, I guess that I can answer your question. Since I live alone, I have to manage my house and finances all by myself. And also my father had some influence in certain circles, so on occasion that means that I have to fulfill certain obligations."

"Such as what, if I may ask?" Kane was now tingling with curiosity. The rest also looked at her expectingly.

"I'm sorry, but that is strictly private. Though I can tell you that a certain problem has arisen and that I have a lot on my plate right now." Her eyes met Mordred's for a split second. "Don't worry. It won't affect my daily life or school activities in any significant manner. At least for now."

"That's good to hear." Ayako laughed relieved.

"Hmmm. Not the answer I hoped for, but thanks for satisfying my curiosity." Kane said apologetic.

"Geez. And I here I thought we were going to hear something good." Kaede complained. Saegasu merely smiled gently.

"Now that that is settled. Shall we continue to discuss the rehearsals?" Mordred changed the subject. She casted a sideway glance at Tohsaka, who merely brushed her hair.

"See you around, Ayako." Tohsaka said before she left.

"Sure thing." Ayako responded, before turning to Mordred and slinging her arm around Mordred's shoulders. "Now let us talk about the rehearsals. I'll give you the script you need to memorize. But first, can I know where you got that armor? It's really cool."

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Shirou returned home around seven. Earlier then usual. "I'm back." No response came. "The others are still out?" Shirou shrugged and made his way to the storehouse. He felt like practicing his magecraft a little before the others came back. When he approached the store house, he could hear the sound of clashing shinai from the dojo. "So there they are."

When he entered the dojo, he saw Bedivere sparring with Taiga. They were going at it pretty intensely. Well, Taiga was at least. Bedivere calmly kept her at bay. Arturia observed the duel from the sidelines, until she noticed Shirou. "Shirou. You have returned." She called out happily. Bedivere and Taiga stopped upon hearing that.

"Yo, Shirou. Back early I see." Taiga greeted winded, but smiling.

"Welcome back, Shirou." Bedivere put his shinai down. "How was your day?"

"Good, thanks for asking. How is the practice going?" Shirou looked at Taiga who's winded, but still smiling as she thankfully accepted a towel from Arturia.

"Very well. You have very good technique, Taiga." Bedivere complimented her.

"Not good enough. Where did you learn to fight like that? I'm giving it my all, but I can't break through your defenses, Bedi-chan." Taiga was wiggling from curiosity.

"Talent, a good teacher and the right circumstances to hone my skills were necessary to come this far. And before you ask, please forget about trying it out. Those circumstances are the kind most people want to avoid at all cost." Bedivere warned her with a tone that allowed no further discussion before he could push the issue.

Disappointed, Taiga nodded sulkily. "I understand, Bedivere."

"Thanks for your understanding, Taiga. Shall we have some tea now?" Bedivere took some tea, which stood an a small tray near where Arturia had sat.

"They seem to get along very well. Wouldn't you agree, Shirou?" Arturia observed the two.

"Yeah. They do seem to be very close. Uh? When did Bedivere started calling her Taiga?" Shirou had thought that something was odd, now it hit him. Bedivere was referring to her first name. Not even using 'miss' like before that.

"Hey, Shirou. Want to try some of this tea? It's really good." Taiga took another cup from the tray and held it out.

"Sure thing." Shirou accepted the cup and Bedivere poured in the tea. "Don't you need any Arturia?"

"No thank you. I had my fill." Arturia declined politely. Shirou nodded and smelled the tea. It smelled sweet, but not overly sweet. He took a sip.

"Oh! That's good. I didn't know you could make tea, Fuji-nee." Shirou spoke out in surprise.

"Ah, no. Bedi-chan was the one who made it." Taiga laughed.

"Bedivere did?" He looked at him questioningly, to which Bedivere nodded in confirmation.

"I have been practicing for weeks now. I am happy that it pleases you." He said pridefully.

"Hey, Shirou. Why don't we practice now that you are here? We will have to wait for the others anyway." Taiga proposed clasping her hands together.

"Aren't you beat?" Shirou pointed out.

"Yeah, pretty much." Taiga wiped her brow again.

"No, I think it is a great idea regardless." Bedivere helped her. "Taiga can rest a bit and I will train with Shirou in the mean time. It would be good for you to continue your sword training."

"Indeed. I believe that it has been a while since you practiced." Arturia agreed. A confident smile appeared on her face. "How about I be your sparring partner?" She looked at Bedivere.

"If you wish, Arturia. I have no problem with it." Bedivere consented. "I will keep Taiga company on the sidelines." Taiga smiled happily.

"Alright then, Shirou. It's settled." Bedivere handed Arturia the shinai. Shirou nodded and took Taiga's. As Bedivere and Taiga went to sit on the sidelines, Shirou and Arturia took their starting positions.

"Ready, Shirou?" Arturia smiled confidently.

"Sure thing. Here I come." Shirou launched a diagonal strike, which Arturia easily sidestepped. Just as easy as Shirou's follow up. Upon Shirou's next attack she deftly redirected it, exposing Shirou's back and gave Shirou a painful tap on his shoulder.

"I won't lose to this." Shirou gritted his teeth and launched a flurry of strikes. Arturia simply blocked or dodged them. She launched another counterattack, which Shirou managed to block. His victory was short lived, as Arturia smirked tauntingly before breaking through Shirou's defense and jabbing him in the chest. Shirou landed on his butt.

"She is really going at it." Taiga remarked. "Shirou is getting a beating." Though she said that more teasingly than serious.

"Arturia is always serious when it comes to sword fighting. Shirou will most certainly feel sore in the morning." Bedivere joined in. "Don't you think that she is having fun?" Bedivere's voice grew more serious. Taiga looked at her for a moment.

"I think she does." Taiga admitted. Arturia and Shirou continued their fight. Shirou tried different approaches, but Arturia always seemed one, no... two steps ahead of him. Bedivere knew that her instincts bordered on premonition.

"Too slow again, Shirou!" Arturia reprimanded. In response Shirou launched a power strike at her, which again was easily blocked, only to be followed by another painful slap on his right arm.

"I am not done yet." Shirou tried a feint by pretending to go for her legs. It worked. Arturia showed an opening and Shirou charged in. _I got her!_ He didn't had her. Arturia made a quick flick with her shinai and disarmed him. She followed up with a strike on his chest sending him to the ground again.

"Looks like it's over." Bedivere took a sip of tea.

"That was a good attempt, Shirou. But you still need to learn how to properly asses and utilize your opponents openings." Arturia helped him up. "You charged in too rashly, too."

"I'll remember that." Shirou rubbed his chest.

"You should ask Bedivere for advice on that. Out of all the people I know, none are so fast to break through openings like him." She praised him.

"You honor me greatly." Bedivere responded humbly, putting his right hand on his heart.

"I will. But Arturia... do you know of a special attack to break through? You know a super move that would allow me to win, even against someone of your skill?" Shirou asked expectingly. A silence fell in the dojo. Bedivere made an embarrassed expression and put his face in his hands.

"Ahhhh...Shirou." Taiga muttered exasperated, making a painful expression.

"What is wrong?" Shirou didn't have a clue.

"Shirou..." Arturia smiled uncharacteristically wickedly. "Please sit down, so I can explain it to you properly." Her voice sounded very uncharacteristically low. Shirou felt a chill down his spine and immediately sat down in seiza.

"You sound really wicked, Arturia." Shirou remarked.

"Indeed. Right now I feel as wicked as Rin. So listen carefully." She stood in front of him, her hands folded together. Shirou started to shake a little.

"It was a mistake,... a joke. Hahahah. Please forget that I ask anything." Shirou panicked.

"No. I feel that I have to explain this to you very carefully." she took a deep breath. "THERE IS NO SUCH THING!" Shirou's ears rang. Bedivere and Taiga had seen it coming and had covered their ears in time. "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, SHIROU!? Really, you surprised me and not in a good way."

"I know. I am sorry. I should never have asked. I just thought, as skilled as you are, that you may know of a move like that." Shirou tried to calm her down.

"Such a move should only be used on an opponent of equal level. Someone of your level should focus on his foundations." She continued her lecture.

Bedivere and Taiga followed their argument silently from a distance. "Shirou...you really messed up." Taiga lamented, though with a hint of enjoyment in it. "I really thought that he would know better."

"I fully agree with that, Taiga." He was however smiling silently and happily.

"Is there something wrong, Bedi-chan? You look really happy." Taiga wondered.

"Yes, I am. I have stood by her side for years, but she always had hidden her emotions." Bedivere explained softly. "She was always so dedicated, so diligent in her duties. But in all that time, I have never seen her express her emotions like this." His eyes met Taiga's. "I am sorry. I was just rambling. Please, take no heed to it." Taiga merely smiled and turned her attention back to the bickering Shirou and Arturia.

"Is there something wrong here?" Gawain entered the dojo. "It sounded like a fight."

"No, Gawain. Just a lecture." Arturia had returned to her normal self. Shirou marveled how fast it went. "How was your day?"

"Uneventful. Just some sightseeing." He sighed. "However, it appears that Kay's and Merlin's day has been quite eventful."

"How so?" Bedivere asked as he began to gather the cups.

"I haven't asked yet. But Kay seems ready to burst from amusement. And Merlin...well..." He looked over his shoulder for a moment. "I don't know what happened, but he seems to be in distress." They all looked at each other with confusion.

"This sounds serious. We will continue our training another time, Shirou. But right now we need to find out what happened to Merlin." Shirou nodded at her words. A moment later they arrived at the dining room, where they found Kay hanging onto the table trying to contain his laughter. "Kay?"

"Ah, dear sister. How was your day?" Kay asked with a grand smirk on his face.

"Fine, Kay. But more importantly... where is Merlin?"

Kay smiled and nodded to the corner. They saw Merlin curled up in a fetal position, crying and mumbling in the corner.

"What happened to him?" Bedivere rubbed his chin, blinking bewildered. "I have never seen him like this before."

"Ha! Nothing more than what he deserved." Kay laughed with Merlin's apparent misery. "Serves him right."

"Can you please tell us what happened? Stop keeping us in the dark." Gawain pushed him to spill the beans. Taiga too, was starting to sway from excitement.

"Come on, tell us. I feel that it is going to be quite funny." Taiga slid on her knees at the table and leaned in. Shirou, Bedivere and Gawain sat down beside her. As did Arturia who cast a worried a look at Merlin.

"It was about an hour before we returned." Kay began to tell. "We were walking through the city when we decided to grab a drink at a pub. After ordering a drink, this beautiful girl entered, dressed similarly like Miss Rin. Merlin was sitting besides her before I could even stop him."

"Merlin is a really troublesome, alright. Figured that one out straight away." Taiga sighed.

"Indeed, miss Taiga. You don't want to know how living with him is. But please don't interrupt."

Kay continued.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Taiga nodded and folded her hands together, fidgeting from excitement.

"Anyway... he starts to court her and unsurprisingly, she picked up on it and even kissed him. She hadn't said a word then...she spoke." Kay started to clench his stomach, snickering.

"Oh, oy." Shirou began to recognize where this was coming. "Don't tell me..."

"It seems that way..." Taiga too, began to snicker.

"What? What do you know... Shirou, Taiga?" Arturia was a bit confused. Bedivere and Kay proved to be equally a bit slow on the uptake.

"Kay...What happened after she spoke?" Arturia pressed on.

"That's when we realized that she was not a she at all." And he started laughing out loud. "It was a lad."

Taiga started rolling on the floor. Bedivere and Gawain also started laughing. Arturia began to chuckle and Shirou grinned.

"No. Are you serious? A man managed to pass himself as a woman?" Gawain laughed. In the corner, they could hear Merlin grumbling and whining. "Say Merlin... What was his name?" Merlin only responded with more grumbling. Just wait until we tell the others."

"That was certainly surprising. What's next? Mordred is going to perform in a play?" Bedivere tried to catch his breath.

"Ah...Now that you mention it. Yes, actually. She has been invited by Mitsuzuri-chan to participate in a play for the festival." Taiga dropped the bomb. In an instant the room had fallen silent. Everyone, except Shirou, stared at her.

"Are you serious, Taiga?" Bedivere eyes were wide. Taiga simply gave a nod.

"You can ask Shirou. He was there." Their eyes turned to Shirou.

"It's true. Mordred is playing." He stated casually.

"That was unexpected." Kay said flatly.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Later that evening. Dunstan and six of his men made their way towards the church. Dunstan was planning to question that priest about his motives. At the same time, he was hoping to extract some new information that could further his own plans. Part of that was getting rid of Mordred and Arturia. The reason for this was that he wanted the kingdom to descend into chaos. There is nothing more beneficial for a bandit than a kingdom in turmoil. Working as a mercenary from time to time. The lords would be busy fighting among each other, or with opportunistic, invading forces. This things would leave many shorthanded, which in turn meant less security for the common people and such. He longed for being his own man again.

"We're here, sir." One of his men said as they arrived at the fence surrounding the church.

"You four go to the front gate. You two come with me. We will circle around the back and cut of his escape. Wait for my signal before proceeding." His men nodded. Dunstan made his way to the back entrance of the church. Once there he made a bird call. The next moment he broke down the door with a slash of his cleaver, followed by a mighty kick.

They entered the courtyard where they opened the door they came across. "Luxurious. This is a priest's home, alright?" Dunstan remarked as they entered the room, looking at the rack of wines and the bookcase. His eyes traced over the leather covered furniture and the table in the middle. "Luxurious in deed."

"Can we have some of that wine, sir?" His subordinate licked his lips.

"Maybe later." Dunstan urged them forward. "I wonder where our priest is?"

One of the other four suddenly entered the room. "Sir. We have cornered the priest."

"Very good." Dunstan and the others followed the man towards the chapel. The priest was calmly standing in front of the altar, reading the bible. When Dunstan entered, the priest turned his head to look at him. Dunstan immediately became on guard. This man was definitely not an ordinary priest. He was dangerous. Dunstan had to be very cautious with him. "Good evening, priest."

"Good evening. To what do I owe this visit?" He asked politely. The men surrounding him casted confused glances from the priest to Dunstan. The priest's abnormal calmness had thrown them off balance. They were accustomed to seeing their victims begging and trembling in fear.

_A fake priest._ Dunstan realized. "You are the priest that gave Mordred the information about the Holy Grail War?"

"I am. My name is Kotomine Kirei. And who might you be?"

"I am Dunstan. Mercenary, bandit... take your pick." Dunstan approached him until he was only five meters away. "You strike me as a sharp minded man. So you probably have realized why I am here."

"You want information. Perhaps even turn me in to your accomplice, or more accurately, your 'underling'." Kirei deduced.

"Correct. Here is my first question. Why did you divulge that information to Mordred?" Dunstan's voice was cold as ice.

"Because I am interested in how this will unfold. Besides... Who am I to deny her the Grail? I am merely trying to help her." The priest replied.

"Sir... I believe this guy is mocking us." One of the bandits growled.

"It would seem so. I don't like being seen as a fool. Tie him to the altar. We will loosen his tongue." A maniacal gleam appeared in his eyes.

"Oh, my. It seems that won't end well." Kirei smirked.

"Laugh all you want, priest. You'll be begging for mercy soon." Four bandits moved forward to grab him.

"I guess I had been too obvious." Kirei reprimanded himself. Suddenly Kirei lunged to the bandit on his left and sent him flying several meters back with a palm strike. At the same time he made a downward chop with his right arm on the bandit next to the first, making him collapse to the floor. Before the other two could even react, Kirei smashed his fist against the chest of the third on and ended with a round house kick against the head of the last one, knocking them out.

Dunstan and the last two watched in amazement, though Dunstan was the only one who had been able to follow what Kirei had done. The two others looked panicking from Kirei to Dunstan, waiting for their orders. Dunstan let his eyes trace over his downed henchmen. By all accounts they had just been knocked out. "That was something different. I have never seen someone fight in such a way."

"It's a form of Chinese martial arts. It's main focus lies in using ones opponent's own strength against him and taking them down with precise strikes." Kirei informed him.

"Most interesting." Dunstan motioned the last two to stand down. "I'll be your opponent." He took out his cleaver and walked towards Kirei, who stood there calmly. Dunstan charged him and swung his cleaver diagonally at Kirei's left shoulder. Kirei dodged the blow nimbly and executed a palm strike at Dunstan's throat, which he blocked with his left arm. Dunstan responded with a kick to Kirei's chest. Kirei blocked the kick with his arms and lessened the force by jumping backwards. He was suddenly caught when Dunstan pulled out his whip and entangled his left arm. Undeterred Kirei launched himself forward before Dunstan could pull on his whip. Surprised by Kirei's fast reaction, he brought down his cleaver again to cleave Kirei in half. However... Before the cleaver could connect, Kirei blocked it with three thin blades.

"Where did those come from?" Dunstan had almost been caught off guard. Almost, if it wasn't for the fact that he was used to hidden weapons. Kirei was about to kick him in the gut. He stepped backwards tugging harshly on his whip in order to unbalance Kirei. Unfortunately, Kirei managed to keep his balance. But just barely. This was however enough for Dunstan to launch a quick strike at him. Kirei managed however to return it. After that last exchange the two took some distance from each other. Dunstan only managed to cut some of Kirei's clothing, while Kirei managed to draw blood from Dunstan's arm. "Impressive." Dunstan stared at the cut on his right upper arm. From this exchange Dunstan knew that their skills were about equal. No, Kirei was most likely stronger.

"Are we done fighting?" Kirei stared at Dunstan. "Ready to continue. Or do you want to talk?"

"Talking will do. May I ask what those blades are?"

"They are called Black Key's. A weapon utilized by Executors to fight heretics and other undesired elements." The blades seemingly evaporated, leaving only the hilts, which Kirei tucked under his robe.

"A blade to kill Magi. And from your way of fighting, I can tell that you are a veteran. Interesting." Dunstam smirked. "You two, tend to those four. I will go and have a chat with the priest here."

"Fine. Let us go to the back and make ourselves comfortable." Kirei led him to the back room where he took out some of his wine. A moment later they were sitting in front of each other, tasting the wine.

"Very good." Dunstan remarked. He held out the glass and held the wine against the light. "So, why did you help Mordred?"

"Because, as I said, I want to know how this plays out." Kirei repeated.

"That much I can discern. But you didn't do this to help her. No... you have another motive." Dunstan's eyes pierced into Kirei's. Suddenly it dawned to him. "You enjoy the suffering of others." He laughed at louder than he had in decades. He is acute intuition was the reason why he was able to see it. Kirei could find happiness, ONLY in the suffering of others. While Dunstan certainly had no reservations for such things, for him, it is more of a past time or because he feels that it is necessary. And mostly just limit's itself to physical suffering. _This guy is really dangerous. _ "You are most interesting. Shall we work together? I think that we can both benefit from such an agreement."

Kirei looked at him intrigued. "I am listening."

An hour later Dunstan and his men left. Kirei watched as they disappeared in the distance. It has been a most fruitful evening. Dunstan and Kirei agreed to cooperate. For now they would bid their time and wait for the Holy Grail War to begin in a few months. Until then they would inform each other about what transpires on their respective sides.

"The conversation seems to have gone well." A haughty voice sounded next to him. The next moment Gilgamesh appeared next to him. "It also seems that that mongrel has left an impression on you."

"Most certainly. He is a most pragmatic man, with a penchant for cruelty. I believe we will be able to help each other very well during the War." Kirei grinned. "At least until we deem that the other one is no longer useful."

"His mind is very similar to yours, it seems. His strength is not bad either for a mongrel. Though you are more powerful by a good margin." Gilgamesh observed. "If you go all out, you can defeat him quite easily."

"I believe so, too. Though I won't come out of it unscathed." Kirei replied. "Now then. Shall we go inside? There is still a bottle of wine open."

"I'll take you up on that."


	28. Chapter 27

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

_Chapter 27: Wicked schemes_

A pair of slender legs paced quickly along the pavewalks of Shinto. Tohsaka complained to herslef as she was rushing towards the Verde. A portal had appeared on it's roof and she had to hide it fast. "Geez! So annoying. Anyway, just bear with it. Only three more months and then it's over." As she arrived at the Verde, she ran in to someone unexpected, Merlin.

"Goooood afternoon, Tohsaka. How was school today?" Her frustration worsened. Merlins' carefree attitude was the last thing she needed.

"Good. But I am busy right now." She replied taciturn.

"I know. You have another portal to close. And you know, I have studied them a little and I think I can help you with that." He clapped his hands together. "No, seriously. I can."

No matter how annoying he was in her eyes, he was still a powerful Magus. And as the saying goes, don't stare a gift horse in the mouth. So she politely, but still annoyed, accepted his offer. "Thank you. Please follow me."

"I will." He giggled. Using suggestion magic they made their way onto the roof, where the portal was located. "You know, it is really amazing that nobody has ever gone through it by accident so far. It seems that you people had the devils luck."

Tohsaka sighed heavily. "You have no idea what we had gone through. These past ten years a team of magi had been doing everything to cover this up. On two occasions someone had gone through it. It was sheer luck that we managed to bring them back. Even so, it was hell to keep these things hidden."

"No doubt about that." They saw the portal located in the middle of the roof. The black and silver fog swirled around calmly, pulsing lightly.

"So. What is your plan?" Tohsaka asked. "I am curious to see what you are going to do."

"Quite simple. I will anchor the portal to this location." He chirped. Tohsaka looked at him bewildered.

"What did you say? You are going to anchor this portal to this spot? Is that even possible?" Tohsaka felt relieved, excited and confused.

"It is quite simple I will create a magic circle that will create an anchor of prana, which will tie the portal to the nearest lyeline. And thus keep it in place." Merlin tapped his fingers together. "I am certain that it will work." He added, when he saw her questioning face. "Why don't you make the bounded field, while I make my circle?"

Tohsaka agreed silently and started work on the field, while Merlin procured a clay bottle from under his coat. He removed the cork and started humming a tune in some ancient language. What seemed like a thin stream of gold, not thicker than a silk wire, flowed out of the bottle. It didn't drop to the ground in a straight line, but coiled and twisted, as it started to draw a complex magic circle on the ground. As if it was drawn by a great artists pencil. The chanting continued to intensify as the circle became more and more complete. Tohsaka followed it with utter fascination and forgot about her own task. She felt a sting of sorrow as she knew that she would never be able to perform this ritual, simply because it was out of her reach. After five minutes of intense chanting, the circle was finally complete.

"Phew! That is done. How are things on your end?" Merlin saw her, looking at him with fascination. "Oh! You didn't finish your bounded field?"

Tohsaka snapped out of it and simply answered. "No, I was taken in by your ritual." She looked at the golden, magic circle on the ground. It showed patterns and symbols which she had never seen before. "Is that the language of the faeries?"

"Good deduction. How did you know?" Merlin laughed impressed.

"I didn't. Call it intuition. I know that faeries played an important part in the legend of King Arthur." Tohsaka admitted. "What is this ritual called?"

"Oh, it doesn't really have a name. It is a variation of the Fairy circle of embracement, which I came up with after studying the portal at Shirou's house. Which I, by the way, also have anchored to that location."

Tohsaka eyes widened for a moment. "That's great. Now I don't need to run around town anymore to hide them. That's a load off flab of my shoulders." Tohsaka smiled from relieve. "Now, why don't I put up the bounded field, so we can leave."

A few minutes later, they were walking back towards Miyami town. "I guess that Mordred has done something similar to the third portal when she arrived. Or rather this Esdelot-guy, who followed her. To be honest, I am surprised that Morgan le Fay didn't come."

"She is most likely furthering her plans to aid Mordred's rebellion, while Mordred is here. And devising schemes to torment me." his expression grew uncharacteristically brooding. "I never recalled doing anything so hurtful to her until she harbor such a grudge against me."

Tohsaka gave him a sideway glance. Her expression filled with silent criticism and exasperation. From what she had learned about him and witnessing his behavior and personality, she doubted that sincerely. As they crossed the bridge, they ran into El-Melloi.

"Ah, Lord El-Melloi. How are you doing today?" Tohsaka greeted him politely. Merlin merely waved, with a sheepish grin.

"Miss Tohsaka. I was making way way to the Emiya residence. After deliberating the recent events, the Association has given me new instructions and now I am going discuss with King Arthur and her knights." He took out his cigarette and exhaled the smoke. "And I see that you had a conversation with Merlin."

"Indeed. I had to cover up another portal and Merlin offered to help me."

"Oh, don't mention it. I was glad to help." He said with fake humility.

Tohsaka sighed and Waver frowned. "Anyway, he managed to anchor the portal to that location, so it will no longer move around." Tohsaka continued.

Waver was now visibly impressed. "The Association has been trying that for years and never succeeded. As irritating it is, this oaf is indeed a great Magus."

"Oaf?" Merlin reacted shocked. Though more shocked of being called an oaf, than the fact that Waver had called Arturia a martyr yesterday. "That isn't very nice of you. I was the one who guided Arturia on her path of kingship. It was I, who imbued her with the power of the Dragon. I created one of the greatest kings, who ever lived."

"Just call her what she is... a Martyr." Waver dismissed him. "A great king, yes. But still a martyr."

Now Merlin merely looked at him calmly with a serene smile. "That is her own choice. She chose this path even though she knows how this will end for her."

"Indeed." For a moment it seemed as if he wanted to say more, but then he waved his hand. "Forget it. I will be going now. Are you coming along?"

"Sure thing." Tohsaka replied.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Shirou had returned home earlier then normal. His shift at Copenhagen ended earlier then expected. And since his class was ahead of schedule for the festival, Shirou thought it was a good idea to do some much cleaning today. To that end, he bought some more cleaning products and some more soap and shampoo, as he was using so much with so many people at his house. He met Bedivere when he entered the dining room.

"Already back, I see." Bedivere stated.

"My shift ended earlier and my class is ahead of schedule. So I thought that I could do some extra cleaning." Shirou put down his bags. "And what about you?"

"The King and I also returned earlier then expected. Nothing noteworthy has happened." Bedivere returned to the book which he was reading. Upon closer inspection, Shirou saw that it was his Physics book.

"You are reading that?" Shirou scratched his head. "Maybe I should buy more books. I mean if you are reading that..."

"Oh, no. It's not like that. I was curious, so I decided to take a peak. I must say this is very interesting." Bedivere turned his attention back to the book. "Never knew that light was made up of waves. Or rather is a wave and a ...particle, was it?"

"In that case, feel free to continue reading."

"Thank you, Shirou. But I will continue later. For now, why don't I help you clean the house?" Bedivere proposed as he closed the book.

"You want to help with the cleaning?" Shirou blinked.

"No need to be so surprised. I mean, we have been here for a while now and... Well, we don't really do anything, but walk around town and train." Bedivere spoke sincerely. "If you think about it logically, that makes us freeloaders. As such, I want to help you."

"Hmmm. If you insist. What does Arturia say?" Shirou looked around as if expecting to see her. "By the way, where is she?"

"I don't really know. Perhaps she is in the dojo. Wait, I will go look for her." Bedivere stood up and started for the dojo.

"In the meanwhile I will get the cleaning materials ready." Shirou rubbed his hands together. He took his bag with washing products. "Let's bring these to the bathroom first." Shirou walked to the bathroom and opened the door to freeze on the spot.

Arturia had just come out of the bathtub. Shirou got a full view of her gorgeous body. His head turned redder than a tomato. "Ah, Shirou. You're back. Don you want to use the bath? It's not a problem, since I just finished." She was just as calm as always, without a hint of embarrassment. "Shirou?"

Shirou turned around. "I am sorry. I should have knocked first." He wanted to close the door, but she stopped him.

"Shirou, I have said this before. I am not ashamed of others seeing my bare body." She spoke calmly. "Please look at me."

"Even if you say that, it is troublesome for me." Shirou reacted embarrassed. Undeterred, she stepped into the hallway.

"There is no reason for you to be embarrassed. I..."

"Have you found her, Shirou?" Bedivere returned from the dojo. "She isn't in the dojo, so... Oh, my." He stopped abruptly.

"Bedivere. You were searching for me?" She looked at him. "Is there something you need?"

Bedivere felt some amusement from this scene. Shirou trying his best not to look at her. Arturia standing there, completely bare without a hint of shame. "Apologies. I didn't mean to interrupt. I will wait until you are finished, my king." He withdrew to the dining room and closed the doors, all the while wearing a big grin on his face.

"I think I will join him." Shirou rushed after him, before Arturia could stop him. Shirou stormed in the dining room and slammed the doors behind. Arturia gave a disappointed sigh and went back inside the bathroom.

"I don't understand what your issue is?" Bedivere chuckled, looking at Shirou who sat there with a head like a tomato. He patted him on the back.

"Doesn't this bother you? I just saw her naked!" He complained.

"She is really beautiful isn't she? No, it doesn't bother me. Since you are a reliable and trustworthy person." Bedivere admitted. "Shirou, do you know how high I value you?"

Shirou gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"You know ever since I knew her, I admired her. She always gave her all for her country. And I hold the greatest pride in being her guard. That's why it was so frustrating."

"What was so frustrating?" But before Bedivere could answer, the doorbell rang. "Hold that. I will go and see who's there." He left Bedivere to open the door, causing Bedivere to sigh.

"Good day, Shirou." He could hear Rin's voice, when Shirou opened the door.

"Tohsaka. And El-Melloi. What brings you here?" Shirou inquired.

"It's Lord El-Melloi. And I came to inform you about the decision made by the Association in regards to our visitors." He complained. "Can we come in?"

"Sure thing. Sakura and Fuji-nee aren't here, so there is no problem."

"Thank you, Emiya. I'm coming in." The next moment Tohsaka entered with Merlin and El-Melloi. Shirou led them to the dining room, where Bedivere had returned to reading the Physics book.

Bedivere looked up and greeted them. "Good evening, Milady Tohsaka. Lord El-Melloi."

"Good evening to you too, Bedivere. And just Tohsaka is fine." She greeted him kindly. El-Melloi simply nodded and they both sat down at the table.

"If you wait a while, then Arturia can join us. She should be almost finished." Bedivere informed her.

"Do you guys want something to drink?" Shirou asked.

"Tea, please." Tohsaka answered.

"Coffee for me. And make it strong." Said El-Melloi.

"OK. Give me a sec." And Shirou began making the beverages. The next moment Arturia entered the room. Her hair was still hanging loose.

"Good evening, Rin. And ...Lord El-Melloi." She looked him in the eye.

"Hey, Arturia. How are you doing?" Tohsaka returned the greeting.

"Fine. Thanks for asking. To what do we owe this visit?" She looked once again to El-Melloi.

"Lord El-Melloi is here to tell us about the Association's decision in regards to you and the others." She turned to El-Melloi, with a look of anticipation.

"I see." She sat down and became al serious. "Please, tell us, Lord El-Melloi. What is the Association planning to do?"

Shirou returned from the kitchen and handed El-Melloi his coffee. "Here you go. The tea will be ready in a moment.

"Thanks, kid. Now onto business. You know, you guys present the Association with a serious conundrum." He began. "They know that they can't force you back with violence. At least not without a serious battle anyway and a lot of casualties."

"You think that you Magi can take us on? From what I've heard, it is obvious that the Magi today are far weaker then those of our age." Bedivere pointed out.

"That is certainly true. But that doesn't mean there isn't anyone who can beat you. And power isn't the only deciding factor in battle." Tohsaka retorted, brushing her hair. "And it's not like you people are invincible."

"A valid point indeed Tohsaka." Bedivere bowed his head in admittance.

"Ahum." El-Melloi cleared his voice. "Can I continue?"

"Oh, sorry. Please go on." Tohsaka returned her attention to him.

"The Association has put together an emergency response team for as long as you are here. As I said earlier, forcing you back with force is certainly an option. But one that we prefer to avoid. It would most certainly risk exposing our world." He paused for a moment, before continuing with some reluctance. "And since you are from the past, we can't risk killing any of you, which further limits our possibilities."

"So what are you planning to do then?" Arturia pressed the issue.

"Sure. The end decision is that we will allow you people to settle this with Mordred. However you are not allowed to bring back anything from this time, or try and learn about your future from books, TV or any other source." His voice began to sound more annoyed. "Sisigou and I are to remain here in the city to keep an eye on you people. At least for a while. If we deem that things are getting out of control we will call in the response team and force you back, by whatever means we can think of."

"So you are allowing us to settle this on our own accord?" Arturia surmised. "I am grateful for your decision. Of course, we will agree with your terms regarding bringing items from this time to our time. We will equally comply with your demand to not find out about our future."

"You certainly are woman with an outstanding character." Rin marveled.

"I thank you for agreeing with these terms." El-Melloi drank up the last of his coffee, just when Shirou brought in the tea.

"The tea is ready." Shirou walked in with the tray. El-Melloi stood up as he put it down on the table. "Are you leaving already?"

"Yes. I had come to deliver these terms. Now that I have done this, I have no reason to stay here any longer." He sighed.

"Before you go. There is one thing that I would like to ask." Merlin who had simply sat in the corner listening, spoke out. "What do you know about that Golden man?" Everybody stared at him. And then they turned to El-Melloi.

"He is a powerful, self-centered individual. Don't try to fight him, because it will end in disaster. But I am certain that you already know that. If you want to know who he is, you can go ask him yourself." He grumbled. "You should be good, as long as you don't provoke him, which is really easy."

"What do you mean by Golden man?" Tohsaka jumped in. "I have never heard of that."

"Apparently there is a powerful individual in this town. According to Merlin his aura is pure gold and he has the power to face the entire Round Table by himself." Bedivere informed her.

"That's nuts. What kind of man is he?" Shirou blurted out.

"The entire Round Table? No way? But than again if he really is a servant..." She covered her mouth in shock.

"Indeed. He is the Servant Archer from the fourth Holy Grail War. You better don't antagonize him." El-Melloi warned them. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He looked at Shirou. "Will you show me out?"

"Are you that dissatisfied?" Bedivere asked before he left the room.

"Of course, I am. I am an instructor at the Clock Tower. But now I have to babysit you guys, in a city filled with bad memories." He cast a glance at Arturia. Then he sighed. "If you don't mind I will return to the hotel." And without further ado, he left. Shirou followed to see him out.

"He really seems to dislike you... Or rather he dislikes you for the memories you bring up." Merlin shook his head.

"Seems that way. I would like to ask him more about my interaction with Iskandar. If I hadn't agreed with those terms... No, I accepted them and I will hold my word." She stated resolute. "We will inform Kay and Gawain as soon as they return."

"Understood." Bedivere acknowledged. "Now, there was something I was meaning to discuss with you."

"What is it that you want to discuss?"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Later that evening at the castle, Esdelot was reflecting on past events. Or more accurately cursing them. For he had been thinking about how his lifework had been destroyed and his heir slain. This wasn't the first time he did this. And each time it would rekindle his hatred for king Arthur and her knights.

After he had been driven from his hideout, he had sought out a new one. Where Morgan Le Fay eventually found him. She asked, or rather forced him, to join her. He agreed, partially because he knew that it would give him a shot at revenge. But also because he knew that he couldn't refuse her. Not without ending up being beaten by her in a fight. Even though, he knew that this was his best shot at revenge, he hated every minute of it. He gritted his teeth harshly and smashed his fist on the table.

"That accursed witch." He was many times more experienced and knowledgeable about Magecraft than she was, yet he was serving her. "Just you wait. All of you. I will take the Grail for myself... And then..." He started cackling.

"Then what?" He turned around to see Mordred. She looked at him with disdain. "What are you planning, creep?"

_How much did she hear? _He put up his usual arrogant face. "None of your business. What do you want?"

"I came to see what you are doing. You have been unusually quiet. You said something about the Grail. What was it?" She hadn't heard it clearly, but she knew he said something about it.

"I was saying that, I hope that we find that accursed item and can return home already." He lied.

But Mordred's instincts were sharper than that. "Don't lie to me. What are you planning?"

"Nothing that would jeopardize our quest to obtain the Grail. I can promise you that." Esdelot began to lose his patience. _Just leave me alone._

"I am certain of that. But my problem lies with what comes after that. You are planning on using it for yourself." Mordred scoffed. "Well, it's quite obvious actually. Have you already planned how you would get rid of us?" She mocked him. "Try all you want. Scum like you will not succeed on my watch."

"Shut up." He growled with a low voice. "You lowly homunculus. You are but a lowly tool to bring about the downfall of king Arthur." Mordred's face hardened. "How long until you die? Two, three years? At least no more then five. No longer then your average bitch. How fi..."

His words were cut off, when Mordred grabbed him by his throat and smashed him onto the table. Esdelot was gasping for air desperately, as Mordred's grip was slowly crushing his throat. "Someone... Something like you should be made aware of its place. You are but a miserable miscreant, who preys only on those weaker than him. A maggot who feasts on the misery of others in order to further his own goals."

She dragged him over the table and threw him against the wall. Taking out Clarent from the bundle, she walked up to him and stomped on his right hand, before putting Clarent's edge on his neck. Esdelot writhed in pain, and looked at Mordred with utter hatred, fear and anger. Mordred's face showed a cruel and deceptively calm smile. "Pray that mother will find another use for you after this is over. Otherwise, I will end your miserable life then and there."

Esdelot tried to say something, but was silenced when Mordred pressed her blade a little harder on his neck, causing a trickle of blood to run down his neck. "But above all I want you to know, that I will kill you should you prove to be more troublesome than useful. Mother's will be damned." She walked away and left the room.

Esdelot glared daggers at the door through which she left, gritting his teeth. He could feel that his hand had been shattered. Moving it proved to be very painful, luckily two of his homunculi returned to help him up. One of them started healing his hand immediately. "That blasted bitch. I will make her pay. I will make them all PAY!"

An hour later after Esdelot had somewhat recovered from his 'argument' with Mordred. Esdelot's mood was the worst since his lifework had been destroyed. _How dare she. That defective meat doll. I should..._

"Teach her her place." Esdelot turned around to see Dunstan standing there. "Don't be surprised. That thought is written all over your face."

"What do you want?" Esdelot tensed up. The two homunculi followed Dunstan's every move.

"Nothing really. I heard that Mordred gave you a beating, so I came to check up on you." He smiled coldly, as he started pacing around the table. "You know, I just realized that we have somethings in common."

"And what would that be?" Esdelot asked skeptical. "I really don't see anything that we have in common."

"Oh, but we do. Firstly, we only care about achieving our own goals, no matter how many need to suffer because of it. Secondly, neither of us has any sympathy towards our victims and lack any scruples." He stopped in front of Esdelot and looked him in the eye. "And neither of us likes taking orders from either Morgan or Mordred. We both work for them against our will, reduced to pawns in their designs."

"I see your point." Esdelot had to agree with that. "But you didn't just come here just to tell me that. What is it that you want?"

"I want to be my own man again, just as you want it." He stated casually, his eyes had a shine to those words. "So, I propose that we work together to achieve this."

"I can agree with that. And knowing you, I take it that you have a plan already."

"A start at least. We both know that we cannot defeat Morgan." A cruel smile showed on his lips. "But I think that we can get some leverage on Mordred."

"You mean that you want to blackmail her? How do you plan to do that?" Esdelot doubted that that would be possible. "She doesn't really have anything with which we can blackmail her."

"Nothing until recently. I believe that she has made some friends recently, hasn't she?" Esdelot's expression changed to understanding.

"I see. Indeed, there are some who have gotten rather close to her. At least closer than anyone else. Not to mention her knights honor demands that she protects them. Even if that means obeying us." Esdelot started laughing. "Risky. We can not know for certain that it will work, but it is worth the shot."

"Correct. I think it would be best to move them to a safer location once captured. I believe you have a secret workshop, right." Dunstan proposed.

"Secret, yes. Except Morgan, nobody knows it's location." Suddenly his expression darkened. "So, the plan is for me to abduct them and hide them away in my workshop." He realized where this was going. "In other words, I do all the work and receive the blame. Leaving you spared from her wrath."

"Indeed, you will receive all the blame. However, this plan is merely to check how far she would go to protect them, to observe her reaction." Dunstan admitted. "It will also send a clear message to her. And while in your workshop, you may find a way to put a couple of surprises in place for her... and perhaps even for Morgan. If you get what I mean."

A cruel and excited smile appeared on Esdelot's lips. "I see. A dagger in the sleeve. For that, I can live with taking the blame. Hahahaha! Fine, we have an agreement." Esdelot grabbed Dunstan's hand and gave him a handshake. "Feel honored. You are the first person who I have shaken his hand."

"Thank you very much. I will be looking forward to our cooperation." Dunstan grinned.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Ayako left the school building. Mordred's rehearsal, as well as the others, had gone really well. After everybody had left, she remained behind to bring some minor things in order. As she approached the gate, she ran into Issei. "Hey, Ryuudou."

"Oh, Mitsuzuri. I thought that I was the last one." He readjusted his glasses.

"I had some minor things to take care of and I wanted to do them now, so I don't need to do them tomorrow." Ayako explained, crossing her arms. "And what about you?"

"I had to adjust some aspects for our budget. Our haunted house is going to be more extensive than initially planned." He sighed from annoyance. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not against it. It's just a hassle to organize it all."

"Don't worry, Ryuudou. With you at the helm and Emiya helping out, it will all be fine." Ayako patted him on the shoulder.

"Hmmm. You're right? Emiya has been a great help... as always." He scratched his head.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. He really should think a little more about himself." She said, slightly worried. "I recall how Shinji often goads him into doing his club chores."

"I always tell him that he should be a little more selfish, but he simply continues helping people. One of these days it will end badly." Issei straightened himself up. "Anyway, we should return home. It's already dark."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." She waved as she walked away. On her way home she spotted an owl sitting on a light post. The creature followed her with his eyes. She couldn't help but feeling watched for some reason. She shrugged and continued walking, though the feeling of someone watching her didn't go away. And it makes her feel nervous.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The next morning, Mordred entered the school for the morning rehearsals. For some reason she felt rather tense. Her instincts told her that something was terribly amiss. As she walked towards the Archery club, she was suddenly stopped by a member of the Track-and-field club. "Hey, Mordred-san. Can I ask you something?" He seemed rather tense.

"Sure. What is it?" She suddenly felt his unease.

"Have you seen Makidera-senpai, Saegusa-senpai or Himuro-senpai? They should already be here, but nobody has seen or heard anything of them yet. It's really worrying. Even Makidera-senpai would inform the school if she was going to be absent." The unease permeated his voice. "I know that Saegusa-senpai had met up with Makidera-senpai and Himuro-senpai, since I walk past them each morning. They should have arrived here already, but they haven't."

Mordred felt the unease build up within her. "No, I am sorry. I haven't seen them. I promise that I will keep an eye out for them."

"Thank you." He bowed and returned to his group. Mordred continued on to the archery dojo with a suffocating feeling in her chest. Why? Just because they are late, doesn't mean that anything has happened. She shook her head and continued to the dojo.

"Mordred-san. Good morning." It was Sakura who greeted her when she entered.

"Good morning, Sakura. Another day for rehearsing." She grinned. "Is our director not here yet? Cause I don't see her."

"Apparently not. Which is odd, since she would have notified us if she would be running late." Sakura made a nervous expression. "Her brother however says that she left a little earlier than him. He thinks that she may have been sidetracked, but..."

"This has never happened before, right." She concluded. "She would never been late regardless."

"Yes. It is as you say. She would have notified us at the very least, if she was going to be late."

"Just now, one of the track-and-field club mentioned that the trio hasn't shown up yet either." Mordred mentioned. "Perhaps she is with them."

"Uhm. Maybe, but still... With the festival coming up... Even Makidera-senpai takes it serious." Sakura replied doubtful. Suddenly, Mordred felt her amulet tremble and a voice appeared in her head.

"Sir Mordred. We have a problem." It was Giraud's agitated voice.

"Would you excuse me, Sakura? I've something I forgot to do. I'll be right back." Mordred excused herself.

"Ah, of course. Then I will return to my duties." Sakura replied.

"Thanks." Mordred responded and went outside behind the dojo. "Go ahead, Giraud. What is the problem?"

"It's Esdelot. He's gone. And so are all of his homunculi." Giraud exclaimed.

"WHAT!? Do you know where he went?" Mordred asked.

"Yes. Back to our time. One of my men saw him and his homunculi going through the portal. The tension in his voice rose some more. "But here is the most severe part. They took four lasses with them. From the description, It sounded like those lasses we met at that school building. Sir Mordred?" Mordred had fallen silent for a moment.

"Giraud. prepare the rest of my armor. I'll be there soon, after I make the necessary preparations. I am going back to get them."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tohsaka was busy going over the schedule for their festival event. She was in a good mood, as they were ahead of schedule. "Good. Everything is coming along fine. Now, if just Himuro..."

"Tohsaka Rin." Rin startled, for Mordred suddenly stood next to her, carrying her armor and sword wrapped in a bundle over her shoulder. Everybody in the class was staring at them. "We need to talk. Now!"

Rin wanted to retort, but from the look in Mordred's eyes and the tone of her voice, she felt that it was something serious. "Let's go to the roof."

A few moments later they were standing on the roof. Rin stared Mordred in the eye, her arms crossed. "What happened? It something severe, isn't it?"

Mordred bit her lip. It was obviously very embarrassing for her. "Yes. It's Esdelot. He...-sigh- He went back to our time and kidnapped Ayako and the trio."

"Whaaaaa!? Are... Are you kidding me? Are you telling me that they are now in sixth century Britain?" Tohsaka glared daggers at her. "This is your fault. I will... Argh! Forget that for now. What can we do to get them back?"

"I will go after them and bring them back." Mordred stated resolute. "It's, as you say, my fault. I had to keep a closer eye on him. So rest assured. For I swear on my honor as knight that I will bring them back safely. However, I need you to do something."

"And what is that?"

"You need to use your magecraft on the teachers and their family to make them think that they have been at home with a cold or something. If they notice that they are missing..."

"I understand. I will see to it. However, I will inform Arturia and the rest. And I will ask them to aid in the pursue of Esdelot." Tohsaka decided.

Mordred clenched his jaws together. "There is no need for that. I..." She sighed. "No, it's only natural for you to do so."

"Hmm. At least you have a good understanding of the situation. I will see you within three hours in front of the Verde. There is another portal on it's roof." This was more of a order than a request.

"Very well. I will see you then." Mordred turned around and left.

"Now then. Let's inform Shirou." Tohsaka went to find Shirou. She would let Shirou gather Arturia and her knights while she would take care of the teachers. Later she will ask Merlin to take care of the parents. She was hoping that his magecraft could reach the parents across the city.

Three hours later, Mordred stood on top of the roof. Tohsaka and her father hadn't arrived yet, but that didn't bother her. In fact, she was planning to go back without her father and the rest. This was her fault, so she would correct it. Besides, having her father being with her would complicate things greatly in many ways. It wouldn't come as a surprise that her father would try to arrest her on the spot. She stood in front of the portal ready to go through it. "Here we go."

"Hold it right there!" Mordred turned around to see Tohsaka, along with Kairi and some other magus. "You won't leave, before the rest are here."

"No, I am going. And you can't stop me." Mordred declared defiantly. "And I promise you, that I will return."

"I don't think so. You will return Ayako and the others and then you will remain in your time." Tohsaka glared at her. "You people have caused enough trouble as it is."

"Hmmpf. And what about you guys? Come to see me off?" Mordred looked at Kairi and El-Melloi.

"Sort off. We were made responsible for overseeing everything you guys do. This man here is Lord El-melloi II, by the way." He introduced his colleague.

"Pleased to meet you, Mordred." He said flatly. "Finally going back to your time. About time. Without you, we can force the rest of your men back easily."

"Don't count on it. You can't stop me regardless. Besides, I promised Ayako that I would participate in her play." Mordred declared boldly.

"What did I tell you. Rebellious through and through." Kairi spoke to El-Melloi, before walking up to Mordred. "Mind if I come along with you?" Everybody looked at him in bewilderment.

"Hey. What do you mean by going with her!?" El-Melloi burst out. "You can't be serious? Do you plan to alter the past even further?"

"The past has already changed since Emiya Shirou had gone there." Kairi shot back. "Besides, I might be able to aid in the rescue of these girls."

"Ok, fine by me." She agreed.

"What are you trying to pull here?" El-Melloi blurted out in disbelief.

"He's right. I have never heard of a magus this reckless. This is completely irresponsible." Tohsaka rushed up to them and barred the way to the portal. "You will not get past me! Now be good and wait for the others to arrive."

"Rin! Are you there?" They could hear Shirou's voice coming from the stairway. When his voice reached them, Mordred tensed up and grabbed Kairi by the neck of his coat.

"Hey." Kairi exclaimed.

"Here we go!" And Mordred flew towards the portal.

"Not, so fast!" Tohsaka strengthened her body and tried to block them, but Mordred shoved her aside. Or at least that was her intention. Tohsaka grabbed hold of her in an effort to stop her. Unsurprisingly she failed and all three ended up going through the portal. El-Melloi remained behind staring at the portal completely stumped.


	29. Chapter 28

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

_Chapter 28: Pursuit_

Tohsaka awoke lying under a tree. She squinted her eyes as the sun shone into her eyes. Slowly she raised herself up, rubbing the back of her head. She could feel a big bump on her head. "Ouch. What? Oh, that's right. I was trying to stop Mordred from entering the portal and..." As the realization hit her, she jumped up in a panic. "The portal!" She looked around her, but couldn't find it. At that moment Tohsaka was forced to accept that she was stuck in sixth century Britain. All because she tried to stop someone, who she couldn't stop. "I messed up again."

"Finally awake." She turned around to see Kairi emerge from the woods. He was grinning. "That was some stunt you pulled. Clinging to Mordred as you did. She wasn't happy with it."

"Sisigou. Where is Mordred?" She demanded.

"She is currently putting on her armor. She'll be here right away." He pointed with his thumb towards a collection of bushes. "Mordred tried to throw you back through the portal. Unfortunately it closed before she could do so. It seems... Hey!" Tohsaka pushed him aside as she stormed past him. "Such a headstrong girl."

"Mordred!" Tohsaka shouted. "Let's talk!"

"Not right now. I'm busy changing." Mordred complained.

"No, now." Tohsaka pushed through the bushes. "I will ..." Just then she tripped and stumbled forward through the bushes.

"Watch it!" Tohsaka bumped face first against Mordred's bare chest. "What are you doing? You didn't seem like that big a klutz."

"Sorry." Tohsaka replied embarrassed. Mordred grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her up. "Oh, my. You're really beautiful." Tohsaka blushed slightly as she let her eyes trace her almost completely bare body.

"Knock it off. I don't swing that way." Mordred clacked her tongue in annoyance. She took her breast band and covered up her chest. "So what is it that you want to say?" She asked as she continued with her leggings.

"You! You promised me that nothing would happen to my friends. Yet..." Tohsaka pointed at her accusingly.

"I know." Mordred replied softly. "That's why I have to be the one who is going to save them." She sighed heavily. "I am sorry." Hearing those words coming from the normally haughty Mordred surprised Rin.

"I...It's alright. As long as you understand that." Tohsaka felt uncertain of how to react to Mordred's sudden humility. "So... What's the plan?"

"Firstly, we have to find some transportation. After which I am going to find my mother. She can tell us where we can find that piece of trash." Mordred started strapping on her armor. "Once we know where he is, we have to hurry as fast as possible to rescue them."

"And where are we going to find transportation?" Tohsaka looked around her. "Looks like we are in the middle of a dense forest, without a trace of civilization."

"Don't worry. I know where we are. There is a village not too far away from here, which breeds some great horses." Mordred pointed to the North. "If we march without rest, we can reach it before tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning? And just how long will it take to find your mother?" Tohsaka tensed up.

"About four to six days. Depending on the weather and the situation." Mordred continued. "Don't worry. We still have some time. I do know that Esdelot's workshop is somewhere in Gaul, so with some help from mother we can catch up. What?"

Tohsaka was looking at her with a stunned and doubtful expression. "You said your mother. As in Morgan le Fay, right?"

"Do I have any other?" Mordred waved her hand dismissing. "Guess her reputation precedes her even through the ages. Don't worry. She will help. By pulling this stunt, Esdelot has hampered her plans. That guy will be in for a pounding, when mother learns of this."

"Hah... I see. Sounds like your mother will live up to her reputation." Tohsaka struck a thinking pose. "Guess I have no choice but to trust you on this one."

"Indeed you don't." Mordred replied with her haughty tone again, as she finished putting on her armor. "Now let's go. Time is ticking and we have a long way ahead of us." She put on her helmet and walked passed her. "Oh, and one more thing." Mordred stopped her before she could move. "You better use some suggestion magecraft when we arrive at the village. At least until we can get you some less conspicuous clothes. No woman in this age wears such provocative clothing. People will think you a whore."

Tohsaka straightened up, her face flushed. "Whore? The nerve." Mordred walked away laughing, as Tohsaka hurried after her, yelling angry.

The trip took as long as Mordred had predicted. They arrived at the village as the sky turned fiery orange in the east. They had been rushing here nonestop. Tohsaka was on her last legs and Kairi was panting heavily and drenched in sweat. Even Mordred was slightly winded.

"We're finally here." Tohsaka sat down on a nearby rock, wiping the sweat from her brow. "I'm spent."

"Me too. I never had to exert myself this much.' Kairi panted. Both Tohsaka and Kairi had spent virtually all of their magical energy in traveling to this village.

"I must say, you did manage to keep up very well with me. I'm impressed." Mordred admitted.

"You yourself don't seem to be fatigued at all." Tohsaka remarked. "Who are you using as a standard for that?"

"Magi in general." Mordred shrugged. "The Magi from your time are so different from those of my time. No magus I know posses such physical capabilities."

"Physical fitness and the art of self-defense is a requirement for modern magi." Kairi explained. "We are not as powerful as magi from earlier times, so naturally we need to compensate for it."

"A wise decision." Mordred acknowledged. "I will go and buy some horses and provisions. You people rest a little and then join me in the village square. Don't forget to use suggestion magecraft, less you want to attract unwanted attention."

"Sure thing." Kairi agreed. "Until later." Mordred nodded and walked off.

"Say, Sisigou-san." Kairi turned and looked at Tohsaka's red face. "I just realized... I have never ridden a horse before."

"Me neither." Kairi laughed. "Guess we'll have to learn fast."

The next moment they were walking through the village. By using suggestion magecraft they avoided most of the attention. Kairi looked around curiously. "A rustic village, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah... Rustic." Tohsaka grumbled as she step over yet another piece of excrement. "I am so happy that I was born in the modern age."

"Something we both agree upon." Kairi chuckled. "I feel hungry. Shall we grab a bite at the inn?"

"And how are you going to pay for that? We don't have..."

"Mordred gave me some money." Kairi interrupted her.

Tohsaka was mildly surprised. "Ohh. That changes things. As long as I don't have to pay."

"Scrooge." Kairi snickered. Tohsaka felt offended. They made their way to the inn. It wasn't difficult to find, as it was one of the largest buildings near the square. The smell of wet wool, ale and goats waifed over them when they entered. As well as a myriad of other smells. Tohsaka turned up her nose. Kairi however, simply brushed it off. He was used to worse kinds of smell. As they moved towards the counter, people hurriedly scoured away because of Kairi's threatening appearance. People quickly started whispering and casting glances at the pair. The innkeeper, a middle-aged balding man, remained completely calm as they approached. Tohsaka reckoned that the man was used to odd guests.

The man put his hands on the counter when they arrived in front of him. He looked from Kairi to Tohsaka and back again. "What can I serve ye?"

Tohsaka cringed a little as she realized that they couldn't understand him. His form of English was simply too old for them to know. She cast a look at Kairi who pondered for a moment. Suddenly his eyes fell on a man at a nearby table who just received his order. Kairi smiled at the innkeeper and pointed to the man's servings and held up two fingers.

The innkeeper lifted an eyebrow. "Two of those? Alright then." He turned towards the tavern wench who just passed and gave her the order. He took out two large mugs and filled them with beer from the barrel behind him. "Here ya go." He handed them their drinks. "Hope ya guys got money. Cause I don't accept no foreign dough."

Kairi nodded, understanding the gist of what he just said. He and Tohsaka went to sit at one of the empty tables. "This is going to be an interesting trip." He acknowledged and took a swig from his mug. "Hmmm! Not the best I've tasted to say the least."

Tohsaka tried the ale too. "Yuk! How can people drink this?" She made a bitter face. "So, what do you think our chances are?"

"I honestly don't know. It all depends on Morgan. If she won't help us find Esdelot..." He stopped when Tohsaka hushed him up. He followed her nervous glances towards some of the nearby tables. Some of the patrons casted nervous, curious or even frightful looks at them. "Seems that their names alone draw this much attention."

"Not surprising. So let us not mention them by name again." Tohsaka suggested. Kairi gave them an intimidating stare and they returned to their business. Suddenly a crash was heard at the other side of the room. A bunch of rowdy and very filthy men were harassing one of the wenches. She managed to get away from them, much to their displeasure.

"Criminals." Kairi stated. "Most likely bandits. Undoubtedly spending their ill gotten money."

"Let's hope they stay there." Tohsaka scoffed. The next twenty minutes they continued to talk about the prospects of their goals, until one of the wenches brought their meals. It consisted of grilled sausages, a mix of vegetables and a lot of melted fat, mixed with some herbs. Tohsaka made a difficult face. "I will definitely gain weight during this trip." Kairi shook his head. "Don't they have tableware?"

"No. This is the dark ages after all." Kairi reminded her.

"Well, I'm not a historian." Tohsaka sighed. "Got any cutlery on you?"

Kairi pulled out two daggers out of his coat. "Here you go."

Tohsaka took one of the daggers and started cutting the sausages. As they ate, they noticed it drew attention. After all, they ate uncommonly clean. Something that was certainly not the norm in this age.

"It was surprisingly good." Tohsaka complained after they finished. "I just wish they would stop starring at us."

"I don't think that will happen. Speaking of which, we're about to have company." He motioned with his head to the bandits who made their way to their table. Tohsaka counted five of them. People quickly got out of their way as they approached Tohsaka and Kairi.

"Look at that lads. Don't ya think this is a fine lass?" One of the bandits said as he walked around the table to stand behind Tohsaka. "Ya're obviously not from here. But we don't mind." He hang his arm around her shoulder, grinning his black teeth bare. Tohsaka turned her face away from his foul breath.

"Wha shyeee think, oll man? How 'bout letting us blorrow her a while." Another bandit slurred as he patted Kairi hard on the back. He was too drunk to take heed of Kairi's murderous gaze.

"This will end violently." Kairi looked at Tohsaka who gave an agreeable nod, while glancing at the bandit with disgust. She removed the arm of the bandit and stood up.

"Hey, hey now. Why don't ya stay with us and ave some fun." The bandit grinned, only to be met with a punch to the gut, sending him flying backwards. It took the others a moment to realize what had just happened.

"Bitch!" Another of the bandits yelled and rushed her. But Tohsaka dodged, lowered herself and swiped the legs from underneath him. As the other three started to move, Kairi jumped up and punched one of them in the face, breaking his nose. The fourth bandit grabbed him by his coat, but Kairi grabbed his arm and executed a shoulder throw, smacking him against the one with the broken nose.

Bewildered, the last bandit charged Kairi from behind. Rin intercepted him with a high kick against his head. Dazed the man landed on the ground, clutching his head.

"Thanks. You're pretty good." Kairi complemented her.

"You're not bad yourself." Rin admitted. As she said that, two of the bandits managed to get up, pulling out big daggers, eager to show them who's boss.

"Ya wench. Let us show ya what happens when ya cross us." The bandit snarled. Tohsaka took a stance ready to fight. She cast a sideway glance at Kairi who pulled out another, thaumaturgycally treated dagger.

"You won't do anything anymore!" A voice shouted from the door. Everybody looked at the door to see Mordred standing there. The bandits took a few steps back when they recognized her. They sheathed their weapons and pulled their comrades from the floor. Then they ran as fast as possible towards a door in the back. "Tssst. Cowards."

She turned to look at Tohsaka and Kairi. "I leave you alone for an hour and already you managed to get into trouble."

"That's incorrect. They harassed us, so we treated them to some knuckles." Tohsaka replied calmly.

"Hahaha! No need to be so serious." Mordred laughed. "That said. You certainly can hold yourself in a fight. That way of fighting... It reminds me of what I saw at Ryuudou temple."

"Not surprising. Issei and his family have a history of practicing martial arts." Tohsaka brushed her hair. "No doubt it was an interesting experience for you."

"Sure was. His older brother was sparring with that Kuzuki guy." Mordred recalled. "After that I sparred with Issei for a bit. He was quite good.

"What? You sparred with Issei? That's surprising." Tohsaka was a little baffled. "Wait a minute. You didn't hurt him or anything, did you?"

"No. I just landed a glancing blow at on his side." Mordred shrugged. "But I thought that you didn't get along with that guy. I believe he called you a manipulative fox."

Tohsaka crossed her arms and averted her gaze. "That's true, but... but that doesn't mean I want to see him hurt." Mordred gave a nod.

"Shall we get going?" Kairi interrupted. "We have some girls to save. And don't worry. I have already paid the innkeeper, so everything is settled."

"Yeah, we have wasted enough time already." Mordred admitted. Outside, three horses stood at the ready.

"Those are some fine horses indeed." Kairi remarked as he hoisted himself in the saddle. "That went surprisingly easy."

"It better be. They are well trained horses. I suspected... No, I knew that you guys never rode a horse before, so I asked for the best trained ones they had." Mordred explained. "So, be careful with them. They cost me a pretty sum and I don't want them dying on me."

"That's a surprise. I didn't think you were the kind of person who planed ahead." Tohsaka blinked.

"For some things that's true. I do prefer a direct approach." Mordred admitted. "But don't forget that I am a knight trained in the art of war. I know the importance of planning."

"Indeed. Thanks for informing me." Tohsaka hoisted herself in the saddle. Then she proceeded to cast a spell.

"What are you doing?" Mordred asked when she heard her chant.

"Making her a temporary familiar." Tohsaka replied.

Mordred shook her head. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here put this on when we take a break." She threw her a package. "It draws less attention, so you don't need to use suggestion magecraft all the time."

"Uhh, thank you." Tohsaka took a peak inside. It's color seemed to be red, which she liked. And so they departed for Morgan's hideout. The trip took five days in total to reach Morgan's lair. Faster then Tohsaka had thought. Most of the time they passed through the forest, stopping only to rest. The roads were all dirt roads, snaking through the country side. They crossed an old, wooded bridge and passed another hamlet. Mordred caught a small deer along the way. It tasted pretty good. Eventually they arrived at a cave entrance, overlooking a verdant valley. Tohsaka and Kairi looked at each other questioningly.

"This is it." Mordred confirmed. "Come on. Time is wasting." She procured a torch from her saddle bag and led the two inside the cave. Tohsaka in particular had trouble navigating the cave, because of her new clothes. It was basically a slightly decorated, red version of what a simple farm girl of the time would wear. It annoyed her, as the ankle long garb kept getting stuck behind rocks all the time. She solved it, by pulling it up and tying it around her wast, revealing her legs up to her thighs.

"Hmmm. Not the most comfortable place." Kairi remarked. "Considering that she is royalty of birth, I thought she would prefer a more luxurious abode."

"Mother is willing to go to extremes to achieve her goals." Mordred reminded them. "But she does appreciate luxury, as you'll see soon enough."

After a while they noticed how the floor became even. Kairi took out an magically reinforced glow stick to make more light. "I see what you mean." The light showed them that the floor of the cave had been altered, forming a tiled path leading up to a smooth stone wall with a solid, finely finished door.

"Wait here for a moment. This place is protected by a bounded field. There are only a few which are allowed to pass it unharmed." Mordred warned them. She stepped forward and walked through the door.

"Are you nervous?" Kairi asked. "You seem tense."

"Of course. And you should be too. We are about to meet the infamous Morgan le Fay." Tohsaka bit her lip. "Just from her reputation alone, we should keep our guard up. Even more so if she thinks that we are on Arturia's side."

"Don't worry. I've got some tricks up my sleeve." Kairi assured her. Tohsaka caught a glimpse of a dagger and a flash bang. From what she could tell, they weren't normal. "The dagger is made using the remains of a juvenile hydra and the flashbang has been altered with thaumaturgy. She won't see these coming." Kairi grinned.

"Barely any magus would. I have never met a magus who uses this much modern weaponry." Tohsaka marveled. "You're quite the heretic."

Kairi laughed. "Indeed, I am. Because Morgan is so powerful I can, to a certain extent, predict how she would deal with us."

"How so? She is way more powerful than any magus from our time." Tohsaka doubted Kairi's claims greatly.

"Indeed. But I would be more nervous if she was an inferior magus." Tohsaka didn't quite understand what Kairi was trying to say, which clearly showed on her face. "I'm not surprised by your reaction. After all, you have no experience fighting other magi. It's a matter of pride. A powerful magus will be more inclined to use widely accepted ways of attack. Especially against those who he perceives as inferior." Kairi explained. "While a weak magus, especially those who are aware of their weakness, will often use methods and tactics which a powerful magus would consider beneath him. This can make them more unpredictable and thus potentially more dangerous."

"Hmmm. I understand." Tohsaka contemplated what Kairi just said. "This is a valuable lesson." She suddenly looked at the door, as did Kairi. They felt a shift in the boundary field. The next moment Mordred, having removed her helmet, opened the door.

'OK. You can come in." Mordred motioned them to enter.

"Don't mind if I do." Tohsaka said as she went through the door, followed by Kairi. They both stopped when they saw the interior of Morgan's hideout. The floor was decorated with a beautiful mosaic depicting a verdant river valley. The walls were straight and smooth, decorated with green vines and flowers. In the middle stood a circular fireplace in which burned a magical fire. It was surrounded by luxurious daybeds and some round tables standing in a circle around the fireplace. Further in the back there were a couple of doors. Most likely leading towards the bedchamber and workshop. Then their eyes fell on the woman laying on one of the daybeds, Morgan le Fay.

"Good day to you." She said with a soft voice. "I am Morgan le Fay. Welcome to my humble abode. Please make yourself comfortable." She spoke with surprising humility. Both Kairi and Tohsaka sensed that this was just a masquerade. Morgan sat herself upright, her long, smooth raven black hair flowed over her shoulders. Her dark eyes examined the pair's every movement. "A bit risqué, exposing your legs like that. Don't you think so, little girl?"

_Little girl? She really is looking down on us. _Tohsaka managed to maintain a straight face. "This dress kept getting caught by the rocks, so I pulled it up." She sat down on the daybed to Morgan's left.

"Hmmm. That is indeed a problem if you are unaccustomed to navigating this cave." Morgan agreed. She turned to Kairi. "And you sir. You are certainly no stranger to battle. Well, that is not surprising for a necromancer."

"You've got a sharp eye." Kairi sat down on next to Tohsaka. "I am Sisigou Kairi, bounty hunter for the Association."

"Bounty-hunter?" Morgan narrowed her eyes. "That's a surprise. I have never heard of, let alone met, a magus who stooped so low."

Kairi's merely laughed. "You're not the first one to say that. My primary role consists of hunting down rogue magi. It's a well payed job."

"Hunting down magi, you say? I best be careful." She smiled, but she wasn't serious at all. "And you are...?"

"Tohsaka Rin. Head of the Tohsaka family." She stated a little irritated from being called little girl. "Now that we are introduced, would you mind if we skip to the problem at hand?"

"Esdelot." She nodded. "I never expect him to be so insubordinate. This throws my plans in disarray." Her voice extremely low. "He will have some explaining to do when I get there."

"Mother will follow a different route." Mordred explained. "But she will be the one who will deal with Esdelot. We will focus on saving the girls."

"What will you do with him?" Tohsaka inquired. "Are you going to kill him?"

"No." Morgan's eyes flashed. "I still have some use for him. But a punishment will be in order." Her voice was so cold it send shivers down Tohsaka's and even Kairi's spine. She stood up and walked towards the left door in the back. "I'll be right back."

"Scary. But I must admit she was... nicer than I expected." Kairi relaxed a little.

"Are you crazy? I convinced her that you're not on friendly terms with father. Otherwise you would most likely be begging for mercy right now." Mordred said brusquely. "That being said, you better not say anything nice about father."

"Understood. We'll do that." Kairi affirmed, putting up his hands. Tohsaka also nodded. The next moment Morgan returned holding a piece of parchment in her hands. "Here you go, Mordred. This is where you will find him." Mordred took the parchment and looked at it.

Her eyes widened and she whistled. "The guy's audacious. I've got to give him that."

"What is it?" Tohsaka moved next Mordred and looked at the parchment, as did Kairi. The parchment was a map showing a region somewhere in western France. Esdelot's hideout was marked with a dot, with some text written next to it in a fine handwriting.

"According to this, Esdelot's hideout is situated in Lancelot's lands." Mordred informed them.

"Hidden right underneath the nose of a knight of the Round Table. Clever." Kairi praised the ingeniousness of it. "The last place where one would look for him."

"Indeed. It is. Shall we get going then?" Tohsaka urged. "I don't want to know what that guy is planning with my friends."

"In a hurry, are we?" Morgan mocked playfully. She knew very well what Esdelot could, and will do. But that is of no concern to her. What does she care about some people from the future. Tohsaka glared at her. Suddenly Kairi stepped in between them.

"Before we go, could I ask for you aid with something?"

Morgan lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? With what exactly?"

"I couldn't help but notice how fluent you are in Japanese. Did you perchance learn that from Emiya Shirou?" When Kairi said that, Tohsaka narrowed her eyes. Indeed, she was so caught up with the rescue that she hadn't noticed it.

"Indeed. I took it from him when he was my 'guest'." A cruel smile played on her lips. "What of it?"

"Well, I guess that process works both ways, right?"

"Ah, I see." Morgan caught on. "You want me to give you the knowledge of present day languages. Hahaha? I'm amazed that you didn't acquire it yourself. Oh, wait. Let me guess. You don't have the know how." Kairi smiled slightly embarrassed. "Very well. I'll indulge you. But only because you intrigue me a little. Step forward, girl."

"You guys have some guts." Mordred marveled. "To put such trust in my mother." Before Rin could say anything, Morgan placed her hands on their foreheads and transferred the knowledge. And she didn't do it gently. Both Rin and Kairi sunk to their knees, their heads in pain. Mordred shook her head.

"Thanks." Rin growled, giving Morgan an angry look before storming of, slightly bowling.

"Yes, thanks. But was it really necessary to do it like that?" Morgan merely chuckled. "Why did I even bother to ask? I hope we won't see each other again." And Kairi walked off.

"I'll be of then." Mordred took her helm under her arm.

"You should forget about those girls." Morgan urged her coldly. "You have more important things to attend to. Don't waste your time on saving a bunch of unimportant hens."

Mordred stopped and faced her. "I was raised to be a knight by you. So don't complain if I act like one." She looked her mother in the eye resolutely. "And more importantly, I rather like them. And I'm responsible for what happened. So I will save them."

Morgan froze on the spot, starring blankly at Mordred. Mordred simply bid her good bye and started for the door. Suddenly she stopped. No, she was frozen mid movement. Morgan walked in front of. "You like them?" Morgan spat. But Mordred could not hear her. She was frozen in place by Morgan's thaumaturgy, so how could she. "That's a problem, my dear 'son'. You never held such feelings for anyone before. It worries your mother."

She touched Mordred's forehead with her middle finger, index finger and ring finger forming a triangle and she began to chant a spell. A small, magic circle appeared on her forehead. Blood red and seemingly written in some unholy language. She removed her hand once it was finished and the circle vanished without a trace. No one would know it was there. Morgan's insurance. Morgan moved back behind Mordred and released her.

Mordred moved towards the door, unaware of what Morgan had done. "Until the next time, mother."

"Until next time, 'son'." An imperceptible smile played on her lips as Mordred left.

"There you are. What took you so long?" Tohsaka complained when Mordred exited the cave. "At this rate we will never be in time."

"You're annoying." Mordred grumbled. "Get on your saddle. We are leaving." As she mounted her own horse however, a rather troubling thought surface in her mind. _It's weird, yes. I left just behind them, I'm certain of it. So why didn't I see them in front of me on the way out. Did mother...?_ She shook her head and put on her helmet. More so to hide the discomfort which showed on her face. It was clear to her that Morgan had done something. She will need to figure out what. But that is something for later. They had more pressing things to attend to.

"Alright. Lead the way, Mordred." Kairi motioned with his right hand at Mordred.

"Yes. Let's get going." And they rode of towards the south.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Ayako woke up, rubbing her head. She felt as if she was hit by a sledgehammer. When she looked around, confusion spread on her face. She found herself chained to a wooden wall, inside a small room. When she noticed the swaying, she discerned that she was on a ship.

"You're awake." Ayako looked to her left and saw Yukika and Kane, both chained to the wall as she was. "Thank goodness. Maki-chan is still out cold." Yukika looked at the still unconscious Makidera.

"Where are we?" Ayako looked around, trying to discern their whereabouts. "Last thing I remember was walking to school, but then... it's a blank."

"Same for us. It seems that we've been kidnapped." Kane affirmed. She held up her arms, showing her shackles. "I've seen the people who kidnapped us. Their leader doesn't look pleasant. That red eye of his..." She shivered.

"What do you think they want from us?" Yukika trembled a little. "Will they sell us as slaves?"

Ayako swallowed. Even in today's times, slavery existed in one form or another. So it was possible.

"I don't think that is their plan." Kane cleaned her glasses. Ayako saw that the left lens was cracked. "The way they dress... It's like they are some cult. And... I thought I heard them mention Mordred's name."

"You're saying that they are connected to her?" Ayako asked shocked.

"It's not impossible. We know next to nothing about her. But I don't think that she would endanger us. At least, that's how I feel about her." Kane crawled closer to Makidera and felt her head.

"I think you're right about that. So, they are what? Kidnapping us because we've gotten involved with her?" Ayako thought about it. Mordred had been acting rather secretively from time to time. No, a lot of the time. "If I see her again, I will ask her for an explanation." She decided.

"If we get out from this unscathed." Yukika pointed out. Her face was gloomy. Even the usually upbeat Yukika can't smile in this kind of situation.

The door to their cell opened. A green haired man and woman entered. Judging from their looks they were about thirty years old. They looked them with indifference. In their hands they held a black bread and an earthen jug with water.

"Who are you guys? What do you want from us!?" Ayako stood up and walked up to them. But the man simply pushed her back harshly, causing her to fall on the ground. He then rudely threw the bread onto her stomach, while the woman simply set down the jug on the ground.

"Eat." The woman commanded, before she and the man left without a further word. The three kept starring at the door in fear and confusion for a while before they calmed down a bit.

"Are you okay, Mirsuzuri-san?" Yukika helped her sit upright.

"Yeah. She pushed me rather hard." She rubbed her bum. "At that moment her stomach rumbled and she felt like she hadn't eaten in days.

"Why don't we eat some and the try to figure out what we are gong to do next." Kane suggested, as she grabbed the black bread. She started to divide it with some effort. "This bread is tough." She frowned as she gave a piece to Yukika, who gratefully accepted it.

"Still better than nothing." Ayako took her portion. "Ittadakimasu." And she took a bit. She made disgusted face. The bread was dry, very tough and tasted bad. Kane and Yukika also showed their dislike for it.

"This doesn't taste very good." Yukika made bitter face when she said that. "Maki-chan won't like this."

"That's for sure." Kane managed a faint smile.

"Do you think we'll be alright?" Yukika let her head hang. When Ayako laid her hand on her shoulder, she could feel her shaking.

"Don't worry. We'll find a way." Ayako tried to reassure her. But in her heart she too, had doubts of being saved.


	30. Chapter 29

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

_Chapter 29: Rescue_

It has been almost four weeks since they fled from Camelot. Guinevere strolled on the castle ramparts, looking at over the lush forest. She came here to find some comfort, but nothing eased her guilt. She had betrayed the King by engaging in a forbidden love with Sir Lancelot. The one who was exalted as the perfect knight. She was well aware of the impending turmoil that was coming to Britain. And how her affair, which has damaged the position of the king, had added oil to the fire.

"How did it come to this?" She whispered to the wind. She only wanted to help the king, with Lancelot's help. But before they had realized it, they had fallen in love. A tear rolled over her cheek.

"Milady Guinevere." A gentle voice reached her from behind. It was Sir Lancelot, who came to join her on the ramparts. "The weight of guilt is heavy indeed." His handsome face smiled sadly. His beautiful face was just as attracting as always, save for the small bags underneath his eyes.

"A weight we both share." Guinevere sighed. She knew how much it pained Lancelot, as she felt the same. He was Arthur's best friend and the first knight to join him. The bags underneath his eyes showed how the guilt kept him awake many a night. She walked up to him and they embraced each other.

"Would you like to go out for a ride with me? Some distraction to ease our minds a little." Lancelot proposed, offering his hand.

"That would be nice, yes." Guinevere accepted. Not soon after that they were riding through the forest. Camelot was situated on a cliff overlooking wide open plains. In stark contrast to Lancelot's castle, which was situated next to a river and surrounded by a vast forest. Guinevere always loved the forest for its lush trees and the tranquility it offered. She inhaled deeply. "This was a good idea, my love."

"Very much so, milady." They smiled at each other, grateful for this momentary relief.

"Shall we go to the clearing, my love? There are always some beautiful flowers growing." Guinevere pointed in the direction. "I'll race you. Loser has to fulfill one request!" She giggled mischievously and she spurred her horse into a gallop.

"I'll accept your challenge." Lancelot raced after her. While Guinevere was a woman, she was far better at horse riding than most noblemen.

"There you are. What kept you so long?" Guinevere teased him when he started to close in on her. "Sorry, but I'm planning to win this one." She laughed.

"Milady, watch out!" Lancelot shouted." When Guinevere looked in front of her, her eyes wide as another rider had appeared from beyond the bushes. She pulled on the reigns and her horse came to an abrupt stop, barely missing the rider, who managed to get out out of the way thanks to Guinevere's quick reaction.

"Whooo, there." The young girl brought her horse back under control. "Geez, that was close."

"I am so sorry. Are you alright?" Guinevere apologized.

"I'm fine. You stopped just in time." The black haired girl responded, brushing through her hair.

"Are you both alright? Milady?" Lancelot rode up to them.

"I'm fine, Lancelot. As is she." She motioned to the girl.

"I'm glad to hear that. ...Hmmm. ...It's very similar." Lancelot observed as he examined the girl.

"What is similar?" Guinevere looked at the girl, who looked at them not-understanding.

"Her complexion is similar to that of Shirou."

"Now you mention it. Are you from Japan as well?" Guinevere looked at her in the eye.

"How do you know that?" The girl became more defensive. "Who are you people?"

"When asking for ones name, one should first give his own. But I'll make an exception. I am Sir Lancelot. It's... ahem... a pleasure to meet you." He suddenly turned away his head.

"Is something wrong?" The girl blinked.

"Hmmm. I think it has to do with your modesty, I believe." Guinevere's eyes traced Tohsaka's body, to her legs. Her short, black skirt revealed her legs completely. "A bit provocative don't you think? I am Lady Guinevere, by the way."

"Oh, that. I got a longer dress, which Mordred bought, but the thing keeps getting in the way." She replied irritated as she patted on the package strapped behind her. "You may call me Tohsaka Rin."

"Wait. Did you say Mordred?" Lancelot's eyes widened.

"Oh, yes. That. I came here with Mordred, though not intentionally, along with someone else." As if cued, the sound of horses sounded in the distance and not long after Mordred and Kairi came into view.

"There she is. She's really in a hurry." Kairi sighed. "Was she planning on taking on Esdelot alone?"

"No. She isn't that foolish." Mordred reminded him. "But... Oh, no. It's that perfect knight." Mordred groaned when she saw Lancelot and Guinevere. "This is going to be unpleasant." They stopped next to Rin. "Lancelot. Guinevere." Mordred looked at them respectively.

"Sir Mordred." Guinevere's voice was polite but cold. "Fancy meeting you here." Lancelot, layed his hand on Arondight's handle, ready to fight.

"It wasn't by choice. And don't worry, Lancelot. We're not here to fight." Mordred informed them.

"Then what is your business?" Lancelot demanded. "Causing more trouble for the king?"

"Now, now. Please calm down. It's nothing of the sort." Kairi tried to ease them.

"And you, sir, are...?" Guinevere inquired, looking at his rough, scared face.

"Sisigou Kairi. Necromancer and bounty-hunter. Pleased to meet you." Kairi gave a rough salute. "As for our business. We are currently on a rescue mission."

"Rescue? I'm sorry, but I find that hard to believe." Lancelot's hostility flared up.

"It is the truth." Tohsaka argued. "The Magus Esdelot kidnapped my friends and brought them to this age."

"Esdelot?" Lancelot was shocked to hear that. He had never dealt with him, but knew of his reputation. "What was he doing in your time?"

"Mother recruited him and made him come with me to their time." Mordred reluctantly admitted. "It was my fault, I admit. I should have been more attentive."

"And this Esdelot, is somewhere in Gaul?" Guinevere covered her mouth from shock.

"Yes. Right here in your domain, Lancelot." Kairi explained. Lancelot's face turned to stone for a moment.

"He's got some nerve." Lancelot clenched his teeth and turned his mistrusting gaze at Mordred. "And you are going to save them, Sir Mordred?"

"Yes. Hate me if you want, but I am still sworn to protect the innocent." Mordred declared.

"I can ...believe that." Lancelot hesitated slightly. "If that's the case, I shall accompany you."

"Oh. You will leave her alone." Mordred nodded in Guinevere's direction.

"I can take care for myself." Guinevere retorted irritated. "I don't need to be patronized by the likes of you."

"Please don't argue with her. We are in a hurry and have wasted to much time already!" Tohsaka shot out. "You too, Mordred. We don't have time for this!"

"Calm down, lady Rin. No need to get so angry." Guinevere was a little surprised by Tohsaka's outburst. "I will stop arguing with her, so please calm down. Her?" She stared at Mordred in disbelief, who averted her gaze.

"Yes. Mordred is a girl. She is physically an exact copy of King Arthur." Tohsaka sighed.

"Don't call me a girl!" Mordred exploded. "Let's continue and … What are you staring at?" Lancelot too was suite surprised by this revelation and couldn't help but examine her out of curiosity.

"I apologize, milady Mordred." Lancelot apologized somewhat absentmindedly. "It was quite the surprise."

"Don't treat me like a girl!" It wouldn't have surprised anyone if she had bitten his head off.

"If that is what you wish, then I will treat you as a man as per your wish." Lancelot conceded.

"Just don't treat me overtly as a man." She grumbled. Lancelot and Guinevere looked at each other with confusion.

"You're so difficult." Guinevere sighed and turned her attention back to Tohsaka, who's impatience grew to critical levels. "Who are your friends, lady Rin?"

"Uhh? Oh, Four girls of the same age. Mitszuri Ayako, Himuro Kane, Makidera Kaede and Saegusa Yukika."

"Good. I shall tell the servants to prepare for them. Be careful my dear." She said to Lancelot, before galloping back to the castle.

"Alright, enough talking. This way, everybody." Mordred rode ahead.

"Wait for us." Tohsaka hurried after her, followed closely by Lancelot and Kairi.

"Off we go. Looking forward to work with you." Lancelot gave him a questioning look.

"Let's give it our best." He replied and urged his horse to go faster.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

As they were forced through, through what seemed to be the maze of caverns, Ayako felt the fear grow even stronger. Her breathing was fast and cold sweat clung to her face. This was so unreal. They sailed over the sea with a wooden sail ship, seemingly from the middle ages. They had traveled by horse and cart over land passing medieval villages. She had already realized that this was not a dream. Eventually they arrived at a heavy, crude wooden door. The green haired men and women who escorted them, opened the door and pushed them inside.

"Hey, not so rough." Makidera shouted. She ended up tripping and crashing against Kane. Luckily they both landed on a stack of moldy hay. "Sorry, Kane. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Maki. Could you please get off me?" Makidera moved aside and Kane sat herself up right. "I don't think we will get out of here."

"Don't say that. If we give into despair, we will never get out of here." Ayako tried to encourage them, but even she felt the desperation of their situation. "We just can't give up."

"But... What can we do?" Yukika sighed. "Last time when tried to escape... those green haired people are inhumanly fast."

"Yeah. What was up with that? And they look so much alike. It's creepy." Makidera shivered.

"That's not all. We don't even know where we are." Kane pointed out. "Everything looked like... If I didn't know any better, I would say that we have been sent back in time."

Ayako was inspecting the door. "But that's just impossible." She kicked the door out of frustration and went to sit in the hay next to Kane.

"Then how can we explain the utter lack of modern technology? That ship, the horse and cart... not to mention the absolute lack of paved roads, stone houses and the environment as a whole." Kane reminded her. Even if this was some remote corner where people lived like in the olden days, we should have seen some traces of modern civilization."

Everybody stared at the ground, their eyes filled with doubt and fear. Ayako clenched her fists. "Even so, we can't give up."

"Mitsuzuri-chan." Yukika smiled faintly and grabbed her hand. "I'm happy that you are here with us." Ayako returned the smile. Suddenly a soft wailing sound reached their ears. "What was that?" Yukika became spooked.

"It came from over there." Makidera moved to the back of the cave and started searching, nervously. "Over here. There is a draft coming from a crevasse."

"It sounds like a person." Kane and the others joined her near the crevasse to listen. It sounded indeed like a person, yet also not. "Hello, is someone there?"

The wailing stopped for a moment. A nervous silence fell. "Are you a prisoner too?" Ayako asked. "If you are, we may can help each other."

"GYAAAOOOO! RHAAAAR!" A loud scream came from the crevasse. They jumped back in horror and crawled back to the other end of the room.

"What...What was that." Makidera's voice shook hard.

A different voice sounded through the crevasse. It was most likely one of those green haired people. "Silence, beast." A loud crackling sound could be heard and whatever that thing was, whimpered.

"Trouble most likely." Ayako swallowed.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

They finally arrived at the entrance of the cave. "This is it." Mordred dismounted.

"Took us long enough." Tohsaka complained. She jumped of her horse and ran towards the exit, but stopped just in front of it. "That's odd?"

"What is wrong?" Lancelot walked up to her. "Do you sense danger?"

"No and that's just it. I would expect the cave to be protect with a boundary field, but it isn't." Tohsaka pondered. "Then, it's most likely that..."

"That he is inviting us in. A trap, for sure." Lancelot finished her thought.

"That is the most likely explanation." Kairi joined them. "So how do we approach this? The guy will know this cave like the back of his hand, most likely. Which puts us at a disadvantage."

"Indeed, but there is nothing we can do about that." Mordred moved forward. "But we do have a surprise of our own." She pointed at Lancelot. "Whatever he may have planned for us, he won't be expecting you. After that debacle, he assumes that we would never work together."

"Your words ring true. A Magus' arrogance is always his weak point." Lancelot agreed. "Time is dwindling. Let us drive the serpent out of his lair." He and Mordred lead the party into the cave. Once inside, they were presented with a choice, as the pad split into two. "Which way, Mordred?"

Mordred made an annoyed sound. "I don't know. It isn't written on the map."

"I guess we have to split up then." Kairi said what everyone was thinking.

"That would be the most effective way to look for them." Tohsaka agreed. "Who goes with who?"

"If it is agreeable with you, I would gladly accompany you." Lancelot offered courteously.

"What a surprise." Mordred chuckled, drawing mild annoyance from Lancelot. "Then Kairi and I will take the right tunnel."

"I'm ready when you are." Kairi took out his shotgun and two glow sticks. "Here you go." He handed one too Tohsaka.

"Thanks." She snapped the stick and a bright orange light filled the entrance.

"Light without fire. Magic is quite intriguing, as always." Lancelot looked at it with curiosity.

"Actually, it is science and not magic. Though I did enhance it with magic." Kairi explained. Lancelot was now even more impressed.

"I don't really understand what you said, but does that mean that it was made by ordinary humans?" Kairi nodded. "Impressive."

"I'm glad that you are impressed, but can we go now Lancelot?" Tohsaka was already moving toward the right tunnel.

"You should do well to stay collected, lady Rin. Carelessness is a dangerous trait on the battlefield." Lancelot hurried after her. "We'll see each other later. God speed you two." He said over his shoulder as he and Tohsaka went down the tunnel.

"You too." Mordred turned to Kairi. "I'll take point."

"Naturally." Kairi followed Mordred down the tunnel.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Through his crystal orb, Esdelot witnessed the group splitting up. That was a relief. He never expected Lancelot to join them, let alone those two magi. Well those Magi aren't really a problem, not like Lancelot will prove to be.

"Master. Your orders." The female homonculus stood at the ready.

"Changes of plans. Release all of the creatures. I will go and prepare the special one." The homunculus bowed and left. Esdelot moved towards a huge door at the back of the cave. "It isn't ready yet, but depending on how the situation unfolds I will need to unleash it." He opened the doors.

Inside was a creature trapped by multiple boundary fields. It's pitch black eyes looked at him with hunger, but also fear. Esdelot smiled from satisfaction. "Don't you worry. You'll soon get something to eat."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"How are the king and the others doing?" Lancelot striked up a conversation.

"They're doing fine." Tohsaka sighed. "I just wish they returned home already. It's giving me a headache. This will alter the course of history for sure."

"That is indeed a serious issue. But I think she will most definitely return, now that Mordred has returned." Lancelot pointed out.

"I hope so. But there is still the issue of the rest of her men." Tohsaka mood improved a bit. "Luckily, they are not Magi, so we can force them back through the portal on our own. Is something wrong?"

"I apologize, but your attire is rather distracting." He kept his gaze stoically pointing forward?

"That's a surprise. I never thought that you would be so bashful." Tohsaka marveled.

"You misunderstand. I'm a man of the cloth. And the teachings I follow state that a woman should dress modestly and that it is forbidden to stare at another woman with lust." Lancelot explained.

"Too bad. I'm not devout." Tohsaka declared. "Besides you shouldn't be so strict about it. People are naturally attracted by beauty. What you say is virtually impossible."

"Don't take the teachings of our lord lightly." Lancelot defended his faith. "It is an honorable path to follow."

"The first four commandments are just plain territory marking." Tohsaka continued. "But it's your choice to follow it." Lancelot frowned. "Oh, my. Did I offend you?" She gave a devilish smile, before turning more serious. "Besides, does it really matter now? You already had an affair with Guinevere."

Lancelot gave a heavy-hearted sigh. "I did. We wanted to aid our king, but before we knew it, we..." His voice trailed off.

"I understand. What was it that you wanted to help her with?" Tohsaka tilted her head.

"Nobody seems to understand our king. They think of her as too righteous and selfless." Lancelot began. "Whether it was on the battlefield or in government affairs, she handled everything flawlessly. And never showed any emotions. She was the perfect king." Tohsaka stared at him. "Tristan once said: 'The King does not understand human feelings.'"

"Didn't he leave the Round Table?" Tohsaka felt a little confused.

"We were certain he would. Many left before him, though he stayed on friendly terms with the rest of us and sometimes pays a visit. Though I believe he was merely tying up some loose ends here and there, before finally leaving for good." Lancelot explained. "He stayed longer last time, however. No doubt because he was curious about Shirou. I heard that he still serves the King. My guess is because of Shirou's influence on the King."

"Him again." Tohsaka sighed.

Lancelot chuckled, before getting serious again. "When Tristan almost left, the king's fatigue became apparent. That's when it all began for me and Guinevere. I wanted to support the Guinevere in carrying her burden of the King's secret. And her loneliness." He shook his head. "Nobody seems to understand that the king was just another person of Britain, like them. The culture and climate I grew up in was so different from theirs. They fight for the Kingdom, but I fight for the people. And I know that the King does to...living solely for the people."

"That reminds me of that guy. He too, seems to live for others alone."

"You are talking about Emiya Shirou, right?" Lancelot reasoned that she was talking about him.

"You suspect it too." She affirmed.

Lancelot nodded. "The way he acts. There was a fire in the town near Camelot. When we learned that a child was still trapped inside, Shirou rushed in to save her." He recalled. "It nearly killed him, were it not for his healing magic. I could swear that it was as if he didn't even cared about his own wellbeing."

Tohsaka looked at him shocked. "That just might be the case. You said that he possesses healing magic?" She changed the topic.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mordred and Kairi were making steady progress in navigating this maze of caverns. And they felt that they were on the right track, as Kairi detected several boundary fields and traps. Which they managed to trigger harmlessly or circumvent, albeit with some difficulty.

"Tsst. So bothersome." Mordred complained. "At least we know that we are on the right track."

"It might also be a diversion." Kairi suggested.

"No. This guy is too arrogant to even consider anyone coming this far." Mordred scoffed. "But what worries me, is that things are going to easy. The guy is arrogant as hell, but he's not stupid."

"Not surprising. We already knew this was a trap." Kairi reminded her. He stopped for a moment to carve a mark in the wall. "But I'm certain that we can manage together."

"No doubt about it." They grinned at each other. "Let's show this guy who's boss."

"After we save those girls." Kairi clasped his hands together.

"Naturally." Mordred replied. "They will be quite surprised."

"That's for sure." Suddenly Kairi stopped and raised his hand in a halt gesture.

"What is it?" Mordred jumped at the ready.

"Shhht. Listen." Mordred sharpened her ears. The helmet made it sometimes difficult to hear. But then...

"...ello. Is some...y...ere?" A voice sounded in the distance. "We...to tal..."

"It's this way." Kairi led the way. Both of them ran in the direction of the sound. Mordred felt relieved as the voice became louder. There was no mistaking it. It was Makidera.

"Hey! Answer, please!" Makidera shouted through the small hole in the door.

"Maki-chan. Just stop it. They aren't coming." Yukika sighed. "They only come when they need to."

"Damn it. And I really thought it would work." Makidera sat down against the wall.

"I most certainly doubt that." Kane had been skeptical from the get go. "How did you say, would we find the way out?"

"I hadn't gotten to that part yet. We should first get out of this cell." Makidera tried to defend her plan.

"Just give it up, Makidera. They would have caught us anyway." Ayako shot it down. "We can't get out of here without help."

"Well, then. It's a good thing I'm here." A voice sounded from beyond the door.

"That voice. Is that Mo-san?" Makidera and the others jumped to their feet.

"Indeed!" Mordred replied.

"Mordred. What are you doing here?" Ayako rushed to the door and peeked through the hole.

"To save you guys. Why else?" Mordred declared. "Now step away from the door." they hurriedly moved to the back of the room. The next moment the door was smashed. The wood splintered and the iron reinforcements were bent with great force. The hinges snapped and the door flew a couple of meters before coming to a standstill.

"That was awesome." Makidera gasped in awe. Mordred removed her helmet and stood there with a broad grin.

"Glad that you are, but I suggest that we leave now." Kairi stepped into view.

"Ah, Sisigou-san. You are here too?" Ayako's jaw dropped a bit.

"You know that guy, Mitsuzuri?" Makidera stared at him.

"Yes. He is an acquaintance of Mordred, right?" Kairi gave a nod, shrugging his shoulders. "You are here to get us out?"

"Yes, as I just said. I'll explain things to you later, but first we need to find Tohsaka and Lancelot and get out of here." The four of them stared at her dumbfounded. "Don't stand there staring and follow us!" Mordred urged them stomping hard on the ground. Snapping them back to attention.

"OK, Mordred." Ayako managed to respond. "But we should be careful. They have some kind of beast."

"A beast? Whatever it is, I will cut down anything that stands in our way." Her smile grew bloodthirsty. "Please hold onto this." She threw the helmet at Ayako. "The low ceiling will make this a hassle to wear during a fight."

The next moment they were hurrying through the tunnels. The symbols Kairi carved into the walls glowed dimly, showing them the way out.

"Mordred. Please tell me where we are. Everything was so strange during our trip here. It's as if we are transported back in time." Ayako was anxious for answers.

"That's because you are." Mordred gave a direct answer. "You are now in 6th century Gaul."

"That's impossible." Himuro stammered. "How is that possible?"

"It is possible due to a grand ritual going awry ten years ago, which created portals to the past." Kairi informed her.

"Ten years ago? Back then part of the city was destroyed by a great fire." Himuro made the connection. "Was that too a result of that?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Kairi confirmed.

"Everybody quit your prattle." Mordred chided them. "Save it for later, right now we've got to get out of here and then..." Suddenly her instincts warned her. "Everybody back, now." everybody was taken by surprise, so they reacted too late. The beast jumped from another corridor and went straight for them. Mordred didn't hesitate and launched herself forward, performing a slash at the beast. She hit it on the shoulder and knocked it aside against the wall.

"Awe... that was awesome." Makidera stamered. "She just brushed it aside."

"She's really strong." Yukika muttered.

"Of course she is. She is a knight of the Round Table after all." Kairi stood at the ready, covering the other corridors with his shotgun.

"Round Table? As in the one from the legend of King Arthur!?" Kane gasped. "Wait. So Mordred, you are really..."

"Yes. Mordred Pendragon, son of King Arthur and Morgan le Fay and heir to the throne." Mordred made her full introduction in her usual haughty manner.

They just stared at her dumbfounded. "So the legend is real. But then that means... that Arturia is really …"

"My father, King Arthur. Now please be quiet. This guy isn't done yet." The beast got back up, bleeding from a deep gash on it's shoulder. As Kairi took out another glow stick, the light revealed it in its full horror. Over four meters long, with scaly skin and four curved horns. It's serpentine-like head looked at them with hate, as the beast prepared for another attack. Suddenly two more appeared next to it, ready to join the fight. "How annoying. No matter, I'll dispose of you lot quickly."

And with a cruel smile and a battle-loving look in her eyes, she raced towards the beasts. The three creatures charged at her. Two of them tried to flank her from the sides. Mordred however, suddenly sped up and thrust her sword at the already wounded one. The beast tried to dodge. Clarent pierced its skull and cut along the entire length of it's body, spraying blood all over the place. The sight shocked the four girls. Yukika even turned green and averted her gaze, trying not to vomit.

Mordred went after the second one, which went for her legs. She responded by kicking it in the teeth, sending it flying against the wall. Before the beast could recover, Mordred was on top of it and decapitated it. She turned around to see the last one attack the group. Kairi was bringing his shotgun to bear and the girls tried franticly to get out of the way. Luckily the beast never reached them, for it was suddenly impaled against the wall by Clarent. The beast whined for a couple of seconds before dying.

"Thanks for that. But throwing your sword like that? Not really fitting for a knight, don't you think?" Kairi examined the beast nailed against the wall.

"I don't care. Even if I have to kick and bite, I will use whatever means are necessary to win." She pulled the sword out of the wall, dropping the beast on the ground.

"Mordred?" Mordred looked at Ayako, who stood there staring at her. Her eyes tracing over Mordred's blood splattered armor and face.

"I know you have many questions, Ayako. But first we need to get out of here, after we find the other two." Lancelot and Tohsaka arrived.

"Tohsaka?" Ayako approached her. Tohsaka suddenly hugged her.

"Thank goodness, you're OK." Tohsaka sighed from relieve. Holding onto her shoulders, Tohsaka looked her in the eyes. "Did those guys do anything to you?"

"No, I don't think so." Ayako thought about it, but she couldn't say it for sure. "We had been out for quit a while, so..."

"I understand." She turned to the trio. "How are you guys holding up?"

"I think we can manage." Kane hesitated for a moment. "This experience will leave its mark for sure."

"Don't worry. Once we're back home I will erase all this from your memories." Tohsaka assured them.

"Whaaa!?" Makidera exclaimed. "Erase our memories? You can do that?" Yukika and Kane also gawked at her in disbelief.

"Sure. It's not that difficult. I'm a Magus after all. You won't remember a thing of this." Tohsaka explained. "But that is for later. Right now, we need to leave." Mordred gave an annoyed sigh.

They managed to make their way out of the cave without further incident. Once outside they were met by six homonculi, some of them armed. And they weren't alone, for two stone golems, each three meters tall, supported them. One of the males stepped forward. "This is as far as you go. In name of our master, you shall pay for crossing him."

"Pay for crossing him?" Mordred waved his treat aside. "All this and he still doesn't have the courage to come out himself. Typical."

The homunculi stared the group angrily. The male suddenly whistled. Something large started to move from behind the bushes. The trees were pushed aside as the monstrosity appeared. Walking on two clawed feet and standing about ten meters tall. The monster eyed the group with his malicious, black eyes. It straightened itself up, and flexed it's two pairs of arms. The lower, smaller pair ended in three large scythe-like claws, while the larger pair ended in two large hands. Its gigantic muscles rippled under its thick, leathery, black and red striped skin. Drooling from it's smooth, dragon like mouth as it readied itself for attack.

"Rin, Kairi. You two protect them, we'll handle these guys." Mordred looked at Lancelot, who nodded in agreement.

"That would be the best." Tohsaka agreed. She looked at Ayako and the rest. "Stay behind us." They nodded obediently and moved back behind some rocks.

"That's pointless." Another homunculus mocked. "Those two magi are too weak. And there are too many of us."

"And you are just homunculi. Well made, but not perfect." Mordred laughed. "You are not as strong as you think."

"Just homunculi? That's rich considering you are one too." The homunculus shot back. Mordred's face became expressionless. Tohsaka, Kairi and Lancelot eyed Mordred incredulously. "We will..."

He never finished the sentence, for suddenly a loud bang rang out. Everybody turned to look at the source. Kairi had taken out his shotgun and fired. The projectiles flew towards the homunculi.

Mordred, Tohsaka and Lancelot witnessed the gruesome projectiles fly through the air. Human fingertips went straight for their targets. The homunculi, taken by surprise tried to dodge. But the projectiles, flying faster than any arrow or bolt, turned mid-air and guided themselves towards the two nearest homonculi. They pierced their hearts, dropping them to the floor. Stunned looks of disbelief in their eyes.

"It's one thing to call us weak. But I advise not to take us lightly." Kairi warned them, with a carnivorous grin.

"Oh. Those guns are interesting weapons indeed." Mordred, who had regained her composure, laughed. "Now then. Let's get started." Immediately the homunculi spread out, while the golems and the monster charged. Unfazed, Mordred launched herself towards the left golem, shattering the rocky soil underneath her.

The golem threw a right hook at her. Mordred dodged and gave a mighty overhead blow. She struck the golem on his shoulder, creating a large crack across it's body. The golem however continued to function. "Tough one, aren't you?"

Lancelot fought the other golem and the beast. The golem wasn't much of a problem, if that monster wasn't fighting alongside it. Lancelot deftly evaded their attacks, waiting for an opening. It didn't take long to find one. The beast executed a wild charge at him, shoving the golem aside. When the monster was right in front of him, Lancelot threw his mantle in it's face. Caught by surprise, the monster was unable to stop and crashed against a massive tree. While it was dazed from the blow, the golem made another attempt at striking Lancelot.

"That won't happen." Lancelot spoke as he denied it. He made a forward roll, passing underneath the golem's arm, making a deep cut at it's knee. The golem fell on it's belly. Lancelot proceeded by jumping on a nearby tree branch and using it to jump on top of the golem, executing a plunging attack into its heart, ending it. The monster returned, even more angrier, and lashed out at Lancelot. He silver blur hit it against it's shoulder and made it stagger.

"Sorry, for the wait. That golem took more than one blow." Mordred grumbled. The monster looked at the deep stab wound on it's shoulder, before turning towards Mordred with a snarl.

"You go and help the others. I am more than enough for this one." She radiated confidence and Lancelot decided to trust her. He gave a nod and went to help the others.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The four homonculi rushed them. They wouldn't take them lightly anymore. They split up going for two against one. "How bothersome." Kairi clacked his tongue. There wasn't enough time to reload his shotgun, so he took out his Mauser and a dagger. He fired at the woman who rushed him. She managed to dodge the bullets, but was amazed by the speed of the projectiles as one cut her cheek.

"You die here." She shouted, but suddenly all the strength seemed to leave her. Her movements becoming rigid. _A curse._

Kairi lined up a shot, but the man suddenly sped up and cosed the distance. "Not so fast!" He shouted and reached out with a lightning clad hand. Kairi used his coat as a shield. Made from the hides of magical beasts lessened the damage, but it still hurt as hell. He fell flat on his back, stunned. Them man grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him up. "Now, die."

He raised his hand to deal the finishing blow. Realizing that the end was nigh, Kair mustered up every ounce of his willpower and shook of his disorientation and raised his dagger. The homunculus simply shoved the blade aside with his hand. A big mistake. The man suddenly cried out in agony and let him go. He looked at his hand as a his veins turned black. Realizing the potency of the poison, he tried to stop it by cutting off his arm. But too late. It had already spread across his body and with a gurgling sound he dropped dead on the ground.

The woman was trying to cure her own curse, sure of her comrades victory. So it was a shock to her when he witnessed his demise. After he died, Kairi crawled back on his feet and with a satisfied smile lined up his gun and pulled the trigger.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tohsaka was hard pressed by her adversaries. On of them was utilizing a glaive. By reinforcing her body, she managed to dodge their attacks, but she was unable to find a moment to retaliate. The glaive swiped passed her again, tearing her blouse and making a shallow cut on her stomach.

"Enough of this!" Tohsaka threw a jewel at them. "Stark, Groß Zwei!" A bright light enveloped the two male homunculi. As they covered their eyes, Tohsaka threw a scarlet jewel at the unarmed one. It shattered mid-air and it's sparkling fragments spread out over him, before manifesting a magical dome which pressed him against the ground.

Before the one with the glaive could react, Tohsaka kicked him aside. The homunculi rolled over the ground and jumped back up, only to be met by a barrage of Gandr. On of them hit his heart and he died instantly.

Behind the rocks, Ayako and the trio looked on in awe. "Is that the model student, Tohsaka?" Makidera uttered perplexed, her eyes wide. "She is kicking ass."

"It would appear so." Kane muttered. "Amazing. Who would have guessed that she had such a secret."

"Indeed. And Mordred." Yukika stared at Mordred, who just cut off on of the monsters large arms. Mordred smiled viciously as the monster howled. "She really is the Mordred from the Legend."

Ayako grasped the helmet tight. She was unable to stop starring at Mordred. The brutality with which she attacked made her think of a berserker. She was so small compared to the monster, yet she succeeded in pushing back the monster. Then she looked at Tohsaka, who was now beating up the homunculi. She delivered many consecutive punches and kicks, but the man held his ground. Suddenly the man managed to turn the tables on Tohsaka. Tohsaka suddenly slowed down. A normal person would be unable to understand what was happening to Tohsaka, but the homunculus was using mystic eyes on her.

"Ah, this is bad." Makidera gasped. "She is in trouble now." Suddenly Ayako pushed the helmet in her hands and ran off. "Hey! What are you doing?" Makidera shouted in bewilderment. Ayako picked up the glaive from the dead man and ran towards the other one, who was about to strike Tohsaka down.

Ayako sprinted towards the man and executed a diagonal swing at the man. Unfortunately, he noticed just in time to dodge. And fortunately, this also broke his hold on Tohsaka. "Leave my friend alone." Ayako warned him. She was hyperventilating and her hands were shaking. Her entire body was completely flushed with adrenaline. She never thought she would have the courage to do something like this.

"Mitsuzuri!?" Tohsaka exclaimed. "Thanks for the assist. But you shouldn't have done that." They looked at the man who continued his offense. He cast a ray of light at Tohsaka, who blocked it with one of her jewels. This knocked her back. Ayako responded by executing a series of attacks, but the man blocked the third swing and delivered a powerful punch to her stomach. But before it could connect, she was pushed aside and the blow was blocked by a sword. Ayako looked up to see Lancelot standing there.

The homunculus jumped back. Lancelot looked at Ayako and offered his hand. "Apologies for that." Ayako took his hand and he helped her back on her feet. She didn't understand what he said, but she could guess. After helping her up, Lancelot turned towards the homunculus. "You'll be fighting me from here on out."

He, however, had lost all will to fight. So he tried the same thing that Tohsaka had done and created a bright flash with his magic. It took everyone by surprise, but Lancelot managed to protect his eyes at the last moment and attacked the homunculus. He tried to defend himself, creating a gray colored energy shield. Unfortunately, it wasn't strong enough to block Arondight. The sword smashed through it and cleaved the homunculus in two. "It's our victory." Lancelot stated. He looked towards Mordred who was finishing up.

"I got to admit. He sure made a beast." Mordred remarked. The monster had lost two of it's arms and had to use one of the remaining ones to compensate for it's crippled left leg. It was bleeding all over it's body from the various stab wounds and cuts. It had become quite clear that it had some measure of regenerative powers, but once Mordred had noticed it, she simply upped the pace. She injured it faster, than it was able to regenerate. "Time to end this."

The monster lunged at her in a final attack. Mordred responded in kind. Clarent began to crackle with crimson lightning and she launched herself with all her might at it. The monster's claws reached out for her. Mordred cut through it's wrist, severing it's hand. As a cannonball, Mordred smashed against it's chest, throwing it backwards, while impaling it. She twisted her sword and jumped towards it's head. Clarent cut through skin, muscle and bone. Slicing the beast in two all the way from his chest to his cranium. Mordred flew up and landed with a shock back on the ground, covered in blood. The beast fell over, shaking the ground.

"Haha. It's over." Mordred cheered victorious. She turned around and joined the others. Ayako, Makidera, Kane and Yukika stared at her nervously and were a little scared. Mordred's face grew somber upon seeing their reactions. "How are you guys holding up?"

"We... We are holding up." Ayako replied hesitantly. "How about yourself?" She looked at Mordred's blood soaked body.

"I'm fine. None of this is mine. I just need a good scrubbing." Mordred replied.

"You can do that at my castle. I suggest that we go there now and get these girls to safety." Lancelot

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Inconceivable!" Esdelot was panicking. His most powerful forces had been vanquished. He knew he had to get out of here. His remaining homunculi were buzzy gathering his most important possessions, while Esdelot himself gathered all his research.

"And where are you going?" Esdelot froze on the spot, when the soft voice reached him. "You can't leave. I have some important issues to discuss with you." He turned around to see Morgan standing just a few meters away. He looked around and saw that all his homunculi were lying on the floor. They were still alive, just neutralized.

"Milady Morgan. Please let me explain. I..." Morgan uttered a few words, a spell, and Esdelot was frozen on the spot. Morgan walked up to him, her icy gaze boring into him.

"Of course you will." A wicked smile played on her lips. "But after I punished you."


	31. Chapter 30

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

_Chapter 30: Return home_

Esdelot had disappeared, but the girls were rescued. That's what counted. They rode towards Lancelot's castle. Mordred, with Ayako seated behind her, were riding a bit ahead of the column. Which was fine for Mordred, since she wanted a private conversation with Ayako. "You must have many questions."

"To put it mildly." Ayako responded softly. "So, you are the real Mordred? The one from the Legend of King Arthur?"

"Yes, that's me. Mordred, 'son' of King Arthur and Morgan le Fay, knight of the..." She paused for a moment. "Former knight of the Round Table and rightful heir to the throne."

Ayako didn't argue with that. "Then that means that Arturia and the others are..."

"Yes. My father, King Arthur, Merlin, Kay, Bedivere and Gawain. The real ones." Mordred sighed.

"It's so unreal. To think that you guys actually existed,... uh, I mean exist." Ayako corrected herself. "But how and why did you people come to our time?"

"It is a long story. There are these portals which connect this time with yours." Mordred recounted. "We learned about this when Shirou ended up here."

"Emiya was here too?" Ayako was shocked. "That's a surprise. But why did you guys come to our time? Curiosity?"

"No, nothing like that. It was because of the cause of those portals. The Holy Grail." Mordred continued. She chuckled a bit when she saw Ayako's dumbfounded look. "Don't worry, this is not the one from Jesus Christ. This one was made by Magi."

"Magi? As in magicians?" Ayako inquired, after regaining her composure. "Like those that fly on brooms and wave wands?"

This made Mordred laugh. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but while they could do that, it is pretty much meaningless to do. So they don't do that." She pointed over her shoulder towards Rin. You saw Rin in action, didn't you? She is an accurate representation of a magus. Though, mostly I was surprised by how she fought in hand-to-hand combat. I've never seen a magus fight that way. They really have changed compared to those of my time."

"Is it that strange for a magus to fight hand-to-hand?" Ayako cast a glance at Tohsaka over her shoulder. Tohsaka noticed and waved a bit. Ayako smiled at her before continuing the conversation. "I've never known that she was one."

"Magi tend to keep to themselves after all. And about hand-to-hand combat, Magi general consider such a thing beneath them." Mordred recalled how Ayako had handled that glaive. "Speaking of combat. You were using that glaive quite proficiently." Mordred complemented her.

"Thanks. It looked a bit similar to a naginata." Ayako felt a little proud. "A beauty should practice martial arts, don't you think?"

Mordred looked at her with large eyes, causing Ayako to smile, slightly embarrassed.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"So, Tohsaka. Have you been a magician for long?" Makidera clumsily began a conversation. "You were really cool back there."

"Magus, Makidera-san. The correct term is Magus." Tohsaka corrected her. And how long is the wrong question. I have trained to be one my entire life."

"Whaaa? Sooo cool." Makidera gasped.

"So, it's safe to assume that your entire family consists of magi." Kane deduced. "What's it like being a magus?"

"My training was hard, but not impossible. I do my best to do things to perfection." Tohsaka stated proudly. "I have a duty to uphold my family's name."

"I see. From the fight earlier I saw you throw a bunch of jewels. Don't you guys use wands?" Kane continued with great interest.

"We could, but that is completely unnecessary. We don't need those things." Tohsaka explained. We just need to know the verses and use our magic circuits."

"Magic circuits? What are those?" Kane leaned a bit closer to her, carefully as to not fall out of the saddle.

"They are like a second set of nerves, but they channel prana. You need them in order to use magic." She continued, brushing her hair. "Besides that, we have our magic crests. That is something of book in the form of a tatoo. It allows you to use whatever spells are stored in it, simply by pumping prana through it."

"Is this really something you should be telling us, Tohsaka-san?" Yukika joined in, peaking from behind Lancelot. "I mean, you kept it a secret your entire life."

"That is absolutely right, girl." Kairi laughed, before turning serious. "We magi keep ourselves hidden from the common world, unlike the ancient times. When somebody sees us performing thaumaturgy we are obliged to silence them. By any means necessary, even if that means killing them."

This shocked the trio greatly. "Hey, hey, hey now. Does this mean that you are going to kill us?" Makidera panicked.

"Is there something wrong?" Lancelot heard the shocked reactions of the trio and looked at Kairi with a wary gaze. Makidera still jeering.

Kairi raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "Nothing to worry. I just told them what magi normally do when someone sees them in action."

"I'll take your word for it." Lancelot accepted his explanation, albeit slightly doubtful. He looked at Kane, his eyes asking if everything was alright. Kane felt the meaning behind the gaze and gave a nod with a reassuring smile.

"He, Tohsaka. You're not going to..." Makidera continued loudly, but Tohsaka cut her off.

"Geez. Just stop it. We are not going to kill you!" Tohsaka shouted annoyed. "I told you in the cave, didn't I. We will just erase all this from your memory. You'll wake up at home thinking you've been in bed for a couple of days with a flu."

"So we will not remember any of this." Kane confirmed. "That's a shame."

"I'm sorry, but it is necessary." Tohsaka declared firmly. "I'm not budging on this one. You guys were never supposed to get mixed up in all of this."

"But we did get mixed up." Yukika sighed. "Part of me wants to forget, but another part of doesn't." Tohsaka stared at her surprised. "Mordred-san and Tohsaka-san coming to save us. Seeing Britain during the time of King Arthur. And the truth about Mordred and the others."

"I concur, Yukika." Kane agreed. "Can't you make an exception this one time, Tohsaka?" Tohsaka turned to face her, widening her eyes.

"Yeah. I mean... it's not like anyone will believe us." Kaede made a rare observation. "And you know it. If we would tell anyone about this they would lock us up in a nut house."

Tohsaka, initially taken by surprise by their desire not to forget about this, regained her composure. "It's not happening." She held her ground. "Maybe, I will think about it." She paused when she saw their faces. They immediately brightened up.

"Thank you, Tohsaka-san." Tohsaka was met by Yukika's heartwarming smile and felt herself melting away a little.

"That is not how a proper magus acts, Rin." Kairi had followed the conversation silently until now.

"Shut up. As if you're one to talk, you heretic. And don't call me, Rin." Tohsaka grumbled. Amused, Kairi shook her head.

"You are one clumsy magus. Just like when you tried to stop Mordred from entering the portal." Kairi sighed.

"You tried to stop her?" Yukika asked.

"Yes. It was the intention that she returned together with Arturia and her knights, but she forced her way ahead and I tried ...to stop her. So, I got dragged here as well." Tohsaka clenched her jaws. "Geez. Like trying to stop a cannonball."

"Considering how strong she is, I'm surprised that you tried that." Kane marvelled.

"Looks like even the honor student makes mistakes." Makidera chirped. "Who would have thought."

Tohsaka felt exasperated. "You got that right. It's a hereditary curse. Magi from my family tend to make mistakes at the most critical times." She admitted. "Like how I failed to prevent Shirou from ending up here. I was quite surprised to learn he was a magus, too."

"Whaa!? The Homurahara brownie is a magus too!?" Makidera exclaimed.

"Would you keep it down already?" Tohsaka glared at her. "Yep, he is one too. But he is a weak one. Apparently Merlin trained him a bit when he was here."

"How strong are you as a Magus?" Kane felt her curiosity rear it's head again.

"Well, I'm still a magus in training. But father had high hopes for me and I am very talented, even if I do say so myself." Tohsaka laughed. "I would say above average at least."

"That's very good for you." Kane admitted. "On a different note, we are going to Lancelot's castle right?"

"Yep. Guinevere went ahead to prepare for our arrival." Tohsaka told them.

"Wow. We're going to meet Guinevere." Yukika marveled. I wonder what she is like."

"You'll know soon enough." Tohsaka smiled.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

A few hours later, they arrived at the castle. The guards saluted as Lancelot led them in. He guided them to a well furnitured common room, where Guinevere waited for them. "Ah, you've returned, my love." Lancelot and Guinevere embraced each other. "Everything went well, I take it?" She looked at the four girls who looked at her with awe.

"Everything went well. The girls are unharmed." Lancelot informed her. "But the magus is still out there."

"He will be caught in due time. I know you will." Guinevere smiled reassuringly. Lancelot felt the same. "They look rather bewildered." Guinevere turned her gaze back to the girls.

"Of course they are." Tohsaka reminded her. "It's not everyday that one gets send back into the past and meet with legendary individuals."

"I'm not legendary." Guinevere remarked humbly, blushing.

"Yes, you are. The queen from the King Arthur's legend." Kairi pointed out.

"Of course." Guinevere smiled. "I have ordered baths to be prepared for you. After all you've been through, it will certainly feel very refreshing."

"What did she say?" Makidera looked at Tohsaka.

"She has prepared baths for us." Tohsaka translated. The girls all put up happy faces. They had spent the last few weeks without a bath. "Thanks. We will gladly accept."

"You're welcome. Please follow me." She motioned them to follow.

"A bath. Finally. That crook didn't even let us bathe during our trip." Makidera cheered.

"Indeed, Maki-chan. We can finally refresh ourselves." Yukika joined in. "Thank you very much, Guinevere-san." She bowed.

Her beaming smile reached Guinevere, who understood what Yukika just said. "My pleasure."

"Your friend has a bright smile." Lancelot remarked. "Very beautiful."

"What did he say, Mo-san?" Yukika felt that Lancelot was talking about her.

"He praised your smile, saying it was very beautiful." Mordred replied. "Have fun enjoying your bath. I will see you guys later."

"Huh? Aren't you going to join us?" Yukika tilted her head.

"No, I will take mine later." Mordred looked at her armor, which was stained with blood. "First I have to clean my armor."

"Sounds to me that you don't want take a bath together with us." Kane remarked, arms crossed. "Regardless, you yourself are covered in blood. You should wash yourself first."

"Ho, I never took you for the shy type. Scared of others seeing you naked?" Kairi teased her, clasping his hands together.

"I'm not shy." Mordred made a face like a bellicose snapping turtle. "I just prefer to bath alone. That's all."

"Are you sure, Mordred?" Guinevere made a teasing smile. "I have the best herbs fetched for the bath. It will do wonders on your body. I invite you to join us."

"I'm a knight. I have bathed in less ideal circumstances." She held on stubbornly.

"And what kind of a knight refuses the invitation of a lady?" Guinevere reminded her.

"Why you... ." Mordred's face stiffened.

"Ah, come on, Mordred. Just join us." Ayako jumped in. "It's not like it's a secret anymore." She went to stand behind Mordred and pushed her from behind. Mordred didn't move an inch.

"Yeah, come on. There are some things I want to ask you." Makidera grabbed Mordred by her arm and started pulling. Mordred looked at the others who were clearly amused by the situation.

Mordred sighed heavily. "Fine. I'll go." She pulled her arm loose from Makidera and stepped forward. "Let's get this over with." The girls smiled satisfied at her and left the room, leaving Lancelot and Kairi alone.

Kairi clasped his ands together and looked at Lancelot. "What do you do for entertainment?" Lancelot lifted an eyebrow.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"This feels goooood." Ayako let herself sink into the bathtub. "A bit hot though."

"This was long overdue." Kane agreed. A female servant handed her a piece of lye soap. Kane gave a nod and took it.

"Soap from Gaul is the second best in the world." Guinevere told them. "Hope you enjoy it."

"We surely will." Tohsaka replied. "Where is Mordred?"

"She is removing her armor in the adjacent room." Guinevere pointed at a nearby door. It opened the next moment and Mordred entered. Dried blood clung to her hair and skin. The servants were startled by her bloody appearance.

"What are you so scared of?" She asked rhetorically and grabbed a piece of soap. She took the bathtub next to Ayako's and lowered herself in. The water immediately turned red. "Everybody happy now?"

"Thank you for indulging us." Ayako responded with a smile. "You really are beautiful, you know that."

"Hmm, thanks." She averted her gaze.

"Shy after all." Makidera laughed. "Who would have thought that Mo-san was the shy type."

"I don't think Mo-san is shy, but simply prefers to bathe alone." Yukika observed accurately. "Thanks again for coming to save us, Mo-san."

"No need to thank me. It was only natural to do so." Mordred sighed and looked downcast. "I'm sorry for getting you involved. It wasn't supposed to happen."

"We got out alright. That is the most important thing." Ayako consoled her.

"Escuse me." Guinevere interrupted. "But did they refer to you by a different name?" She directed her question at Mordred. "I remember that san was a Japanese honorific, but..." Mordred glared at her, but it was more an embarrassed glare than a threatening one.

"They called her Mo-san." Tohsaka revealed, with a teasing smile on her lips. "Isn't that right, Mo-san?"

"Tohsaka, why you..." Mordred jumped up from her bath.

"No violence, please... Mo-san." Guinevere giggled. Mordred started to blush.

"You too?" She cringed as she slumped back in her bath, clenching her teeth. "I'll get you for this." Laughter filled the room.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Later that evening, after dinner, Ayako and the trio were sitting on a bench on the highest tower looking at the night sky. It was a beautiful evening. "It's still so unreal." She whispered.

"Amazing isn't it?" Makidera agreed. "We are present in the time of King Arthur. What are the odds?"

"By common sense. those odds should be zero." Kane observed astute. "Where is Mordred by the way?"

"I saw her walking away with Kairi-san." Yukika revealed. "We should check on her later. I believe we all have questions for her."

"You bet ya." Makidera huffed. "Keeping such a secret from us." She looked over her shoulder to see Tohsaka talking with Guinevere on the other side of the tower. Lancelot stood next to them. "What are those two talking about?"

"I don't know; But it sounds important." Kane observed.

"Those are some fine emeralds." Tohsaka marveled. She held up the emerald against the moonlight, examining its clarity. "Who bought you this?"

"Lancelot of course." Guinevere shrugged. "He has a good eye for quality."

"You can say that again. The stonecutter was very skilled to say the least." Tohsaka traced her fingers over the necklace.

"You have a fine eye for jewels yourself." Guinevere remarked. "I can tell that you had a lot of practice."

"Well, yeah. I love admiring them. And then there is the fact that they are very important for my families magecraft. My family excels at conversion of power...storing magical energy in jewels." She explained proudly.

"How very interesting." Guinevere marveled. She looked over her shoulder and saw Ayako waving. "I think your friends are calling for you. Shall we join them?" Tohsaka looked at them.

"Yeah. Let's." She walked over to them. "Hey. Did you enjoy dinner?"

"It wasn't bad. Though eating with nothing but a knife and bare hands was a bit...annoying...and hot." Ayako reflected, before narrowing her eyes. "Tohsaka. What is a homunculus?" She and the trio looked at her with anticipation.

"Huh? Why do you want to know?" Tohsaka wondered.

"We heard the word just before the fight when we exited the cave." Kane reminded her. "We are pretty sure that those green haired people claimed that Mordred was one."

"I would like to know that too." Lancelot jumped in.

"Know what? Do you understand what thosee girls said, dear?" Guinevere asked confused.

"No, I don't. But I could guess, by listening to the way they speak." He looked at Tohsaka. "I have heard of them before and I roughly know what it entails, but not entirely."

"What did he ask?" Makidera looked at him.

"He asked the same question." Tohsaka sighed. She realized that she would have to say everything twice. "Fine. I will explain. A homonculus is simply put, a creature which was conceived without a womb, through an alchemical formula." She switched to full on lecture mode. They are an artificial life form."

"Artificial indeed. That much I knew." Lancelot commented, Tohsaka translating. "But it makes sense. I am certain that Mordred was conceived after Arthur took the throne."

"But Arturia only looks like she is fifteen and she is a girl, so how can she be Mordred's father?" Yukika questioned, looking confused.

"Merlin is half incubus. It wouldn't have been a problem for him to arrange for a child that should not be born. Also King Arthur stopped aging when she pulled the sword from the stone. She is actually in her thirties." Tohsaka informed them casually. Ayako and the trio were very much surprised by this. "But to come back on homunculi. As they are artificial, the concept of 'age' is meaningless to them. They are artificial extensions of the nature and receive all their knowledge and reasoning on the moment of their birth. They do not age like humans and when they reach their 'adult' state they will not age past that point. In fact if they are made well, they can live for as long as the planet remains healthy. However, because of their artificial birth they usually posses physical defects, like distorted growth, shorter lifespans and such."

"So, Mordred is like a clone of Arturia?" Makidera observed, surprising them.

"Yep. I'm amazed that you realized that." Tohsaka marveled, brushing through her hair again. "Everything considered, Mordred is likely to be younger then ten years."

"That's so wrong." Ayako said crestfallen. "Morgan just created her to take the throne, right?" Tohsaka nodded. "That means that she probably isn't well ...'made'."

"Indeed. I would guess she suffers most likely from a short life-span." Tohsaka hypothesized.

Guinevere and Lancelot looked at each other with uncertainty. After Mordred revealed their affair, they held some animosity towards her. But this shook them to their core.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"That was a mighty interesting way of fighting, back there." Mordred began. She and Kairi had been strolling around the castle grounds. She wasn't wearing her armor. The wind blew over her soft skin. "What happened with that fourth one? He suddenly dropped dead."

Kairi grinned and pulled out his dagger. "I coated this dagger with a processed, juvenile hydra. So don't touch the blade."

"A hydra?" Mordred tilted her head. "Ah, that's right. They are poisonous."

"Indeed. Just touching the blade will get you killed." Kairi leaned against the wall. "Did you like my way of fighting?"

"Sure thing. Not bad for a necromancer. Very refreshing compared to what I'm used to." Mordred laughed.

"Glad to hear that. But there is something I wanted to ask you." Kairi's tone became more serious. "Mordred...Are you a homunculus?" That killed the mood. A shock went through Mordred, her expression darkening. She cursed the Esdelot's homunculi under her breath. "I'm sorry. Forget I asked." Kairi tried to brush it aside.

"Forget it. It's out in the open now." Mordred sighed, crestfallen. "Yes. I am a homunculus. Created to usurp the throne. Happy now?"

Kairi regretted asking her. "I shouldn't have asked."

"Too late now." She punched the wall. Cracks appeared where she hit the wall. "Everybody who was present knows now. No need to apologize for it."

"That bastard Esdelot, must have ordered them to reveal it." Which would very likely have been the case, when Kairi thought about it.

"He'll pay for that." Mordred swore.

"You do that." Kairi supported her. As he stood there he came to realize something about her. At least that was what he thought. Though some uncertainties remained, so he kept quiet. "But, I don't think it will affect your performance." He decided to change the subject.

Mordred looked confused for a moment. "My performance? Oh, yeah. That." She remembered now. "It all depends on what Ayako says, now." After what happened, it wouldn't be a surprise to her if Ayako decided to break her ties with her.

"Don't worry." Kairi laid his hand on her shoulder. "Have you forgotten that Tohsaka will erase their memories?"

"Ah, I forgot. Now I feel stupid." Mordred reprimanded herself. "Anyhow, it is the best course of action. Those girls should have never gone through all this."

"They will wake up in their homes, remembering nothing of what happened." Kairi spread his arms. "Happily continuing their lives in ignorant bliss."

"Yeah. That is for the best." Mordred spoke in a detached manner. After all, it wasn't as if they would forget about her. Suddenly her amulet reacted and she heard a familiar voice in her head.

"Sir Mordred." It was Giraud. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can, Giraud." Kairi looked at her, wondering who she was talking too. Mordred showed him the amulet and pointed to her head. "You have returned from Japan."

"Indeed. After ye left, we came to the conclusion that we could better wait in our own time for the Holy Grail War." Giraud explained. "We have informed milady Morgan not long ago and she agreed with our decision."

"Mother did?" Mordred lifted an eyebrow. "So you will return to Fuyuki after a couple of months then?"

"Aye. We will be making preparations in the mean time. We brought back the map we made by scouting the city. It will prove to be very valuable, no doubt." Giraud's voice trailed off at the end.

"Is something wrong, Giraud?" Mordred suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

"Aye. Yer mother will be coming with us when we return." Mordred's heart sped up for a second. She had hoped that her mother would have left this to her alone. She chided herself for being so naive for daring to hope otherwise. Of course her mother would meddle in it personally.

"I see. Mother will be coming along then." She cast an exasperated glance at Kairi. Kairi made a nervous expression.

"Nothing we can do about that. But uhm,... Did ye manage to save the lasses?" Giraud tried to change the subject.

"Yes. They are safe and sound. We will return to Fuyuki in the morning." Mordred smiled.

"Good to hear. And don't worry about the play. It will work out just fine." Giraud laughed. "You were quite good."

Mordred's eyes went wide. "Good? I haven't played yet."

"We returned after watching yer performance." Giraud couldn't contain his laughter. "Don't break yer head over it. This time traveling is pretty weird after all." That snapped Mordred out of her confusion.

"Ah, I see. I returned before you left." Mordred started to laugh. "Yeah. That time-traveling sure makes things weird."

"Sure does. Look, I gotta go. There is stuff that needs to be done." Giraud began to wrap up the conversation. "See ye again in a few months...or days, if ye count the time in Fuyuki."

"Sure thing, Giraud. Until next time." And the connection got cut. She turned towards Kairi again. "Looks like my men returned and will wait here for the War to start."

"Smart decision." Kairi agreed. "And what about you? Will you wait here as well, after your performance?"

"I'm not sure." She put her arms behind her head and looked upwards. "I think I will give this school thing a try." Kairi never saw this coming, which showed on his face. But he didn't mind in the least.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It took almost two weeks before they reached the portal. Traveling through Gaul and crossing the canal took eight days alone. The driver who transported them was confused when they said that they wanted to drop off in the middle of the forest.

"Did you see the look on that guy's face when we told him that we would jump off here." Makidera found it pretty funny.

"He sure was confused." Yukika chuckled. "Not surprising. We are in the middle of the forest."

"True. Man. I can't wait to get back home and take a nice long bath." Makidera stretched herself. "At the first opportunity, I will go and look for some new wind-chimes."

"Wind-chimes?" Mordred blinked when she overheard.

"I guess she never told you that she collects wind-chimes?" Ayako noted.

"She collects wind-chimes?" Mordred echoed surprised. "Didn't see that coming."

"No surprise there. When you talk to her she hardly seems the type for that."

"Are you two done talking over there?" Tohsaka interrupted impatiently. "The portal isn't far away from here, so we should hurry up.'

"Didn't you say that you have no way of knowing if it was open or not?" Kane remembered what Tohsaka had said about the portal when they left from Lancelot's domain.

"Yeah, Tohsaka. What's with that?" Makidera complained. "How are we going to return when we don't know when it will open again."

"Why do you think we brought all this food and camping utilities?" Tohsaka pointed at their luggage.

"I understand. The plan is for us to camp near the portal and wait for it to reopen." Kane surmised. "I had almost forgotten about that." She looked at the deceptively small amount of luggage.

"Yup! That was quite amazing. You managed to stuff all that into those small bags" Makidera had witnessed Tohsaka, Mordred and kairi stow a lot of equipment and food into the bags. More than what would normally be possible.

"That was incredible, indeed." Ayako thought about it again. "You used magic for that, right?"

"Correct." Tohsaka smiled proudly.

"If I recall correctly, it is called a capacity distortion spell. Useful, isn't it?" Mordred had seen that magic quite a few times.

"You sure know your stuff, Mordred." Tohsaka remarked. "But I guess that is not surprising." Of course, it wasn't. Not when she took into account who raised Mordred.

"Now we are talking about it. Tohsaka, there is something I wanted to ask you for a while now." Ayako stepped forward. "Does you being a magus has anything to do with the fact that you are so terrible with technology?"

Tohsaka was made an awkward face. "So what if it is." She admitted.

"As a rule of thumb, Magi tend to avoid technology as much as possible." Kairi stepped in. "Most Magi look down on the use of modern technology, as they consider thaumaturgy superior."

"So that's it." Ayako felt as if she just unraveled an ancient mystery. "But you using guns..."

"...makes me somewhat of a heretic amongst my fellow magi." Kairi finished the sentence. "But well... there are exceptions to every rule. There are some who are more liberal in the use of technology."

"Guess that means that Tohsaka will never be able to handle anything with more than ten buttons." Ayako laughed, but it had some exasperation in it.

Tohsaka made an awkward sound. "You don't have to put it that way."

And so they went back to the portal. As expected it wasn't open, so they were forced to camp there for a couple of days before it finally opened again. At long last they could return to Fuyuki.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Lancelot was staring into the hearth. Looking enthralled by the dancing flames, he was contemplating on the recent events... And thinking about what he should do next. Guinevere entered the room and went to sit besides him.

"So, what are you going to do?" Guinevere laid her hand on his shoulder.

"It now begins to revolve more and more around that Grail." Lancelot answered. "I'm planning to go to Shirou's time to aid my king. And to redeem myself." He looked her in the eye. "Kairi has told me that the War will begin two-and-a-half to three months from now."

"But how are you planning to go there?" Then it dawned to her. "You know where the portal is? How?"

"I had talked about it with Merlin, before..." He hesitated. "Before our secret got revealed."

"I see." Guinevere stood up and went to stand in front of him, with her hands on her hips. "Then I will go with you."

Lancelot didn't see that one coming. "You...you want to come with me?" Guinevere nodded resolute. "Are you su..." Guinevere put her index finger one his lips, hushing him.

"We both have things we need to work out with king Arthur." She smiled. "Besides, I also want to know if she has changed even more. You did see how Shirou affected her."

Lancelot couldn't deny that. Shirou had caused a profound shift on her personality. And Guinevere did seem determined to sort things out with Arthur. He sighed and with a smile, agreed with Guinevere. They would go to Fuyuki.


	32. Chapter 31

**AN: Next chapter will finally mark the beginning of the HGW. I will probably fill up the gap of the time skip at some point with a couple of short stories. Most likely after I finished with the main story. I'll see how it goes.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

_Chapter 31: The school festival_

Mordred was walking through the streets towards the school. She reflected upon the time they had spent in her era as she walked. Ayako, Yukika, Makidera and Kane had been there for almost a month. But thanks to the way the portals functioned, they had only been gone for two days in this time. By all accounts, Tohsaka and Merlin had altered the memories of the school faculty and their families. They now all believe that the girls had been at home with the flu for the past two days. Mordred was glad that it was all over.

Arriving at the school she encountered Issei at the gates. "Good morning, Mordred-san." He greeted her in his usual calm manner. "Finally resuming the rehearsals today."

Mordred gave a nod. "Yeah. It had been an unpleasant two days."

"I reckon. Being sick is never a fun experience. Kah." Issei made a praying gesture. "And it is very problematic when you have something to prepare for. I met with Himuro-san a short while ago. She seem confident that it wouldn't hamper their preparations much."

"That's good news. Is Ayako already here?" Mordred looked at the archery dojo.

"Yes, she is. She arrived fifteen minutes earlier and after a quick chat, went straight to the dojo. Mitsuzuri-san is adamant on making up for lost time." Issei nodded in approval.

"She takes her duties seriously after all. That being said, I should not make her wait." Mordred started for the dojo. "See you later." Issei simply nodded.

As soon as Mordred entered she was greeted by Taiga. "Hello, Mordred! Feeling better already, I see." Taiga made a spin, as excited as always.

"Good morning, Taiga." Mordred grinned at her enthusiasm. "Yep, I feel better. That was one nasty cold."

"But you recovered quickly and that's what counts." Taiga chirped patting, Mordred on her shoulder. "Mitsuzuri-san said she wanted to discuss something with you." Mordred tilted her head. "She is in the changing room right now."

"About what?" Mordred scratched her head.

"She didn't say. But it sounded important." Taiga shrugged and put her hands on her hips.

"Then I shouldn't keep her waiting." Mordred went to the changing room. When she entered it, she found Ayako alone inside, going over some of the costumes. She turned around when she heard Mordred enter.

"Yo, Mordred." She raised her hand.

"Hey. Taiga said you wanted to talk about something."

Ayako sat down on a bench. "Yep. About our adventure."

"Ah, about... our adventure!?" Mordred raised her voice, her eyes wide. "Wait. That means that Rin didn't erase your memories?"

"Uh, yes. We kinda managed to persuade her not to do it." Ayako smiled sheepishly.

"Rin is too kind for a magus." Mordred let her shoulders hang. "She should have gone through with it. That would have been for the best. I take it that the same goes for the other three."

"Yes. They still remember it." Ayako admitted. "Maybe it would have been better for us to forget, but we decided that we wanted to remember it. Tohsaka respected our choice."

Mordred chuckled. "You are very brave. Not many people would willingly choose to keep such a memory. Why did you want to keep this memory?"

"isn't that obvious." Ayako stood up and held up one finger. "Firstly, how many people would get the chance to experience medieval Europe." She held up a second finger. "Secondly, who wouldn't want to remember to have met legendary individuals of the legend of king Arthur." Mordred blinked a few times from Ayako's onslaught. Then Ayako smiled gently. "And lastly, I wouldn't want to forget how you came to save us."

"It was only natural, since it was my fault to begin with." Mordred reminded her, as she averted her gaze in shame.

"Even so, you rushed to save us, along with Tohsaka and that Kairi fellow. I'm really glad to call you my friend. And I wouldn't want to forget what you did for us. Not for any price." Mordred looked at her, stunned. And then a smile appeared in hr lips. A genuinely happy smile.

"Nobody has ever called me that." In that moment, Mordred felt happier then ever before in her life.

"There is a first time for everything." Ayako suddenly stepped forward and hugged her, surprising Mordred. Ayako took a step backwards. "Now that that is out of the way, shall we go and continue the rehearsals?"

Mordred grinned confidently. "Yes. Let's do that." The two exited the room, when Mordred spoke. "You know, I think that I will attend this school for a short while." Ayako was stunned.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The festival took place on the fourth of November. More people attended the event then last year, by Shirou's reckoning. They were enjoying all the games, food and other events at their fullest. The place was abuzz. Shirou was returning to his own class, who had made a haunted house in the gymnasium, with a batch of water bottles. Somebody called his name and he turned around. There stood Bedivere and Merlin.

"Hey, Shirou. Busy I see." Bedivere and Merlin walked up to him. Merlin was wearing a rather silly cap. One which could hold two cans for drinking.

Shirou put down his box. "Bedivere, Merlin. Are you having a good time?"

"Indeed, we do." Bedivere made a happy face. "I just came from milady Tohsaka's class. They were serving quite delicious dishes."

"And I just won this nice hat with a ring throwing game." Merlin clapped with a goofy grin.

Bedivere leaned into Shirou and whispered in his ear. "He cheated. I know he did." Shirou couldn't help but agree with him.

"Hey, Bedi-chan!" A cheerful voice reached their ears. Taiga bounced their way. As soon as she reached them, she grabbed hold of Bedivere's arm. "Are you enjoying the festival, Bedi-chan?"

Bedivere nodded. "Very much so, Taiga."

"I'm glad to hear that." She frowned when she noticed Merlin. "You aren't harassing any of my students, aren't you?"

Merlin held up his hands defensively. "Oh, my. What an accusation." He replied with feigned and exaggerated indignancy.

"Don't worry, Taiga. I will keep an eye on him." Bedivere assured her, glaring forebodingly at Merlin.

"There you are, Bedivere. Merlin. Ah, Shirou. Hadn't seen you yet." There came Arturia, munching on a sweet bun. They had barely understood her, because of her full mouth. She was carrying several bags with several food stuffs. Bedivere coughed awkwardly, while Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Arturia, you shouldn't talk with a full mouth." Shirou berated her. Being pointed on her behavior, she blushed a little and quickly emptied her mouth.

"Sorry for that. It was so delicious." She folded her hands, blushing profoundly.

"Looks like you have been hitting every food stand you can find." Shirou looked at the bags she was carrying.

"Yes. There are many different tastes to behold. I'm very happy to have come here." Her face turned tense. "While we are on this topic, have any of you seen Kay somewhere?"

"No, my king. Not since we arrived here." Bedivere looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of him. Merlin shook his head.

"I haven't seen him either. Is it important?" Shirou inquired.

"Yes, very important." Arturia's voice grew urgent. "There are several more food stands and one more restaurant I want to try, but I have run out of money."

Bedivere rubbed his nose bridge, while Merlin sighed. Shirou's expression grew a little exasperated. They all thought the same at that moment. _She really is such a glutton._

"Hey, Shirou! How long are you gonna keep us waiting?" A blond haired teen walked up to them.

"Ah, sorry Gotou. I got caught in a conversation." Shirou apologized. "Everybody, this is Gai Gotou. My friend from class 2-C."

"Pleased to meet ya." He greeted in his happy-go-lucky way. Arturia and the other introduced themselves and returned the greeting.

"Ah, right. Now I remember. You guys are staying with Shirou right?" They nodded. Gotou slung his arm around Shirou's neck. "You're a sneaky one, you know that?"

"Huh?" Shirou was taken by surprise.

"We ask you to go get some water and here you are flirting with your girlfriend." He cast a glance at Arturia.

Shirou looked at him confused. He opened his mouth to answer, but Arturia beat him to it. "We are not a couple." She said in her trademark emotionlessness.

"Really?" Gotou looked at Shirou hopefully, but She motioned his agreement to Arturia's statement. Disappointed Gotou released him. Bedivere looked genuinely sad by Arturia's and Shirou's statement, but nobody noticed. Except for Merlin.

"Anyway, I must confess that it sounds like you people chose your names from the legend of King Arthur." Gotou changed the subject.

"I can understand your surprise. It was quite surprising for us too, when we first met each other." Bedivere laughed convincingly.

"No surprise there. There is also this Mordred-girl and I just saw Issei talk with another foreigner...One with long, brown hair. Kay...I believe." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Can you tell me where you saw him?" Arturia was quick to react. "I need to ask him something."

"Ah, sure. He was at the café from class 3-B at the other side of the school." Gotou replied. "So, he is with you then?"

"He is my step-brother." Arturia admitted. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go talk to him. It was nice to meet you." And she hurried off.

"Say, Shirou. Will she be attending Homurahara?" Gotou gazed after her.

"Hmmm? No, I don't think so." Shirou scratched his head. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, since you aren't her boyfriend..." Bedivere raised an eyebrow and Merlin grinned.

"No. That won't happen." Shirou shot his hopes down. "She isn't the type to start a relation like that."

Gotou lifted his eyebrows and looked at him disappointed. "Really? That's a pity. She looked more likely to start a relationship. And since Mordred will be attending our school, I thought she would too."

"Sorry. But it is really unlikely she will attend." Shirou sighed. "Even if Mordred will attend, she... Huh?" It finally reached him, as it did Bedivere and Merlin.

"What did you just s..." Bedivere started, but then Shirou interrupted him.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Shirou shouted, drawing some attention from onlookers. "What do you mean? Mordred will attend our school!?"

Gotou backed away a little from Shirou's outburst. "What I said. Mordred will be attending Homurahara. I believe it has something to do with her bonding with Ayako and the Trio." He said, sensing Shirou's next question.

"That is a surprise." Bedivere covered his mouth. "By my knowledge, that would mean that Mordred has actually made friends."

"Is it that unusual?" Gotou blinked from confusion.

"Yes, actually." Merlin started to fumble from excitement. "Mordred was... a bit of a loner, so to say. And by all accounts never had any friends before."

"Arturia will be shocked by this development." Bedivere rubbed his chin.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mordred was walking towards the café of class 3-B for a snack. She had just finished her first performance, which went well, so she is now on break. As she approached, two people caught her eye. With a smirk she walked up to them.

"...and that is how you best decide, how and where you allocate money." Kay finished. Issei was sitting in front of him taking notes.

"I see. I see." Issei penned down Kay's advice. "With this, I will be able to perfectly distribute next years budget. I thank you for your help, Kay-san. Kah!"

"It's nothing, Issei-kun. I work a lot with money. As such I am aware of the many issues it brings with it." Kay took a sip of his tea.

"Talking about money again, Kay?" Kay turned around to see Mordred. A frown immediately appeared on his face.

"Ah, Mordred-san. How was your performance?" Issei greeted her.

"Good, Issei. Thanks for asking. I have another one later this afternoon." Mordred explained. "So, if you haven't caught the first one..." Issei had caught Kay's scowl and looked from Kay to Mordred and back. "Ha. Don't let it get to you. We were never on the best of terms."

"I understand." Issei felt a little nervous from the atmosphere between the two.

"Looks like you are having fun." A new arrival entered the conversation. "Mind if we join you?" They turned to see Kairi and El-Melloi.

"Yo, Kairi. Come to enjoy the festival too?" Mordred waved.

"Nothing wrong with taking some downtime, after that exciting incident." Kairi grinned.

"Exciting. Yeah, right." Waver grumbled. "It was a major headache for me." His eye met those of Kay. They recognized that they felt the same about what had transpired.

"Why did you come here?" Mordred asked Waver, annoyed by his pessimistic attitude.

"Ask him. This guy dragged me here for some reason." Waver complained.

"I thought it would be good for you. You rarely come outside as it is." Kairi pointed out. "Besides, you should try to get to know some of Japanese culture."

"Looks like the mood is going downhill. No matter. It was time for me to resume my post." Issei adjusted his glasses and started to leave. "I thank you again for your advice, Kay-san." He stood up and bowed politely.

"Don't mention it. I was glad to help." Kay answered. "Until the next time we meet." He turned towards the other three. "I will be going as well. Enjoy your day." And he left, along with Issei.

Waver, Kairi and Mordred looked on as they walked away. "Anyway, I don't really want to." Waver rubbed his temple as he continued the conversation. "I will be glad when we are back in London."

"Guess your apprentice is waiting for you there." Kairi recollected his conversation with Waver on their way here.

"You have an apprentice. Who is the poor soul who has to endure you?" Mordred quiped.

"Her name is Gray. She is a descendant of your family." Mordred's jaw dropped for a moment when Waver told her that.

"She is part of my family?" Mordred asked, her eyes wide. "Now that is interesting. Can you ask her to come over here?"

"No way." Waver grumbled, as shiver ran along his spine. "If I did that, I would be seeing triple."

Mordred looked at Waver with a confused expression, before turning towards Kairi, looking for answers. "Apparently, she looks exactly like you, and by extension, also like your father."

"Ah. That is very interesting. Now I want to meet her even more." Mordred was getting pumped up. "What's she like?"

Waver sighed and took out his cigarettes. "She is pretty much a country bumpkin." He lit a cigarette and drew from it. Mordred stared at Waver incredulously. Kairi was grinning from amusement.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

An hour later, Arturia was walking towards the archery dojo. Gawain, Kay and Bedivere were walking next to her, Merlin apparently had wandered off somewhere. Bedivere had told Arturia about Mordred's intent to attend this school. In response, Arturia decided to ask Mordred what she was planning. Since Mordred had another performance now, Arturia decided that she would talk to Mordred after the play, in consideration of Ayako and the others who had worked on this play.

"I must confess, I am rather curious to see Mordred participating in a theater. No doubt, it will be a very interesting thing to behold." Kay mused.

"It is unexpected, yes." Gawain agreed. His face showed a dark expression. "But don't forget this is Mordred we are talking about. Whether her performance is good or bad, she will not receive any praise from me. A traitor doesn't deserve any praise at all. I never thought you would side with her."

"Side with her? Don't you jest. I merely stated that I find the situation interesting." Kay retorted. "And while my feelings towards her are not as hostile as yours, I don't consider her a trustworthy person anymore. When it comes to turning our backs towards her, that is." Kay clarified, as he does trust that Mordred would still uphold values like protecting the weak.

"My friends. Why don't we put aside our issues and just enjoy the show." Bedivere ended the conversation. Gawain and Kay responded with a nod and a resigned shrug. Arturia gave Bedivere an approving smile. Arriving at the dojo they paid the entrance fee and went to their seats.

"Coming to see your son's performance?" Arturia turned her head to see Kairi coming to sit next to her.

"Sisigou Kairi. You came as well." Bedivere looked at him, Gawain and Kay casted a sideways glance at him.

"Of course. And I'm not the only one." He pointed to two people further to the front.

"The bandits from the ambush." Gawain noted. His eyes met those of Giraud, who had just noticed them. "That man had some considerable skill with a battle axe. It's unfortunate that he had chosen such a dishonorable path."

"You respect him though." Kay grinned.

"As a warrior, yes." Gawain admitted. "Hmmm. That young man seems to harbor some great hatred for you, my king."

"It would seem so." Arturia's eyes met with Beves'. "Most likely he is someone who was hurt by one of my decisions."

"A survivor of one of the villages you sacrificed?" Bedivere cast a glance at Arturia.

"That's a good possibility." Arturia closed her eyes for a moment. "It matters not. I did what I believed was the right thing. Even if people despise me for it, I will not be dissuaded from the path I chose."

"Your decisions have always proven to be the correct ones, my King. No one could have done it better." Gawain praised her. "I will do anything you order me to, at any time."

"I know you will, Sir Gawain." Arturia nodded approvingly. Kay to nodded with consent, as did Bedivere. Though the latter did so more heavy hearted. Something Kairi noticed as he silently followed the conversation. A few moments later the curtain was raised and the play began.

The performance went on well. Arturia and the others were even impressed by how good it was, considering it was done by amateurs. Especially Mordred's performance stood out.

"I must admit, she is quite good." Bedivere remarked as the play progressed. "I guess she has a natural talent for it."

"That might just be the case." Arturia nodded. "And she has been acting for quite a while now, with her rebellion and all."

"Do you think you could do that?" Bedivere continued.

"I am certain of it. After all, being a king is basically standing on a stage constantly." Arturia smirked. The play lasted for two hours total and all in all, they enjoyed it. Mordred's acting proved to be very good and she seemed to like it. The performance received a big applause at the end.

"I think now would be a good time to go and talk to Mordred." Gawain suggested.

"I agree. Let's see what Mordred is up to." Arturia and the others ended their applause, stood up and left the dojo. They waited for everyone to leave, before reentering the dojo. Unfortunately, Mordred was not alone as she was talking with Sakura, Taiga, Ayako and even Tohsaka.

"Ah, Bedi-chan." Taiga waved when she noticed them and darted towards Bedivere.

"Bedi-chan?" Tohsaka blinked with a stunned expression.

"It looks like she has a thing for Bedivere-san." Sakura giggled. "I think it's a good match."

"That's a surprise." Ayako glanced at Mordred, who simply shrugged.

"Good day, Taiga." Did you enjoy your students' performance as well?" Bedivere inquired.

"Most certainly. They were pretty good. They did put a lot of effort in it after all." Taiga praised them.

"Obviously so." Bedivere agreed. As they talked Arturia and the others walked up to Mordred.

"I saw your performance." Arturia began. "You were quite good too."

Mordred puffed up pridefully. "Of course. I don't do things half-heartedly."

"We heard that you are planning to enroll here." Kay cut to the point.

"Ah, not planning. I am enrolled here." Mordred grinned cockily. "Isn't that right?"

"Yup. She did the paperwork yesterday." Tohsaka confirmed, her face betrayed that she was less than happy about it. Kay, Gawain and Arturia felt exasperated.

"Ah, Senpai." Sakura uttered when Shirou joined the group.

"Hey, everybody." Shirou stopped when he felt the tense atmosphere. "Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know. Mordred just told them that she was enrolled here." Sakura's eyes darted over their faces nervously.

"Ah, so it was that." Shirou scratched his head.

"Wait. You knew?" Gawain exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Uh? Well, I only learned of it this morning we Fujimura-sensei told me." Shirou explained.

"That's right." Taiga and Bedivere joined them. "I was the one who aided her in the procedure. She will be joining Sakura-san's class."

"I hadn't heard that before." Tohsaka managed to keep a straight face.

"Hey, hey! You're going to be classmates with Matou-san, Mo-san." Ayako smacked her on the shoulder.

"Looking forward to it. How about you, Sakura?" Mordred looked at her.

"I'm looking forward to get to know you better, Mordred-san. Let's get along." Sakura smiled brightly.

"How about you, Arturia-san? Will you be attending the school too?" Taiga looked at her hopefully.

"Uh?" Arturia was a bit surprised by the question, but then she shook her head. "No, I won't be attending, Taiga."

"Ah. That's a pity." Taiga felt dissapointed.

"Not surprising though." Mordred said imperious. "She would not be able to handle it like me."

At those words, Arturia ahoge stood straighted up. Her eyes burned as she looked at Mordred with a calm expression. "Was that a challenge?"

"Oh, no." Kay covered his mouth and casted glances at Bedivere and Gawain. Gawain merely smiled and shrugged. Bedivere became very immersed in the situation. Shirou, Tohsaka, Ayako, Sakura and Taiga were unable to understand the change in atmosphere.

"Why not?" Mordred grinned. "Let's make it a challenge."

"Alright then." Arturia smiled confidently, her eyes glaring at Mordred with an uncomfortable amount of fighting spirit. Mordred remained perfectly calm. "I will enroll."

"That was a 180 flip." Taiga blinked. Tohsaka, Sakura, Shirou and Ayako were also taken by surprise "But that's great! I'll help you fill in the paper work." She grabbed Arturia's hands.

"Thank you, Taiga." Arturia replied. "Or should I say, Fujimura-sensei."

"Looks like things will get more lively at school." Tohsaka sighed as she went to stand next to Shirou.

"You don't know half of it." Kay whispered ominously to the two.

"What do you mean?" Shirou suddenly felt nervous upon hearing the tone in Kay's voice.

"This school will become a battlefield." Kay said with a tone which would indicate impending doom. "Don't worry, not the blood shedding kind of battle." He added quickly upon seeing their alarmed faces. "But,... "He motioned towards Arturia who now stood in front of Mordred. Their eyes drilling into one another.

"I start to see what you mean." Tohsaka made a nervous expression. And so the festival ended.

Arturia and Mordred officially started to attend the school the following school day. Kairi and Waver returned to London, although they felt in their guts that they would return to Japan before long. Dunstan, Giraud and Beves, along with everybody else returned to Britain where they would wait for the Holy Grail War to start. In the mean time they would try to make the best of the months to come.


	33. Chapter 32

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 32: Impending War

It was a cold Saturday on the twentieth of January. It was always cold here year round here. A maid, dressed in a white dress, entered the room. A white haired girl was sitting at the window, looking outside.

"We are almost ready for departure, my lady." The maid informed the girl.

"That took rather long." The white haired girl complained. "We should have arrived there over a week ago."

"We are terribly sorry, my lady. But as you are well aware, it was Lord Jubstacheit who ordered us to delay our departure." The maid countered.

"I know. It was because somebody took over our castle and he wanted to make sure it was safe for us to go there." She sighed.

"Indeed. It seems the castle is unoccupied at the moment. But whoever altered the barriers seems to have been a rather powerful magus." The maid continued. "We suspect he or she probably came through the portals."

"I know, Sella." The girl brushed through her hair. "From what I've heard, a number of people came here from Camelot. Arthur Pendragon and Mordred, chief among them."

"And there were other knights of the Round Table as well. However, the ones who worry me the most are Merlin and Morgan. They would prove to be dangerous opponents." The thought disturbed her greatly. "Anyway, we will arrive in Fuyuki on January the twenty-sixth."

"Finally, I can go see my brother." An angel like smile spread on her lips. "And no need to worry, Sella. No matter how strong they are, Berserker is still the strongest one." With the same smile she turned around. "Isn't that right, Beserker?"

The huge warrior simply stood there silently. His fierce gaze speaking volumes. The Servant would fight with everything he has for his Master.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At the same time in Fuyuki City, a marine haired woman walked up to the abandoned mansion on the top of the hill. The building has been abandoned for quite a while, which made it a perfect base of operations for her. Upon arrival she immediately set up a bounded field. After choosing one of the bedrooms and putting down her luggage, she began drawing a magic circle on the floor. After inspecting the finished circle, she nodded in approval. The woman moved next to the circle and removed her earrings. Holding them in her fist, she held her arm outstretched towards the circle and began her chant.

_Copper and Bronze to the Origin. _

The circle began to emit pulsating light and with each consecutive phrase the light became stronger.

_Lineage and Loyalty to the cornerstone._

_The Gods are my witness._

_The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate._

_Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Repeat every five times. But once it's filled, destroy it._

_I announce. My will creates your body, your sword creates my destiny._

_In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer._

_Here is my oath._

_I shall be all that is good in the world, I shall defeat all the evil in the world._

_You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the circle of binding, O keeper of the balance!_

A bright light filled the room, followed by a dense fog, when she finished the chant. Inside the circle, a man clad in ultramarine attire had appeared. He gave of the air of a ferocious beast. In his hand he held a beautiful, crimson spear.

"I am the Servant Lancer. I have come with accordance to your summons." The man spoke. "Who is it that calls herself my Master?"

"Lancer, Cú Chulain. My name is Bazzet Fraga McRemitz." The woman removed her left glove and revealed her command seal. "I will be your Master during the War."

"Alright then. Let's win this War then, Master." Lancer responded with casual swagger. "Looking forward to work with you."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Three days later. Arturia was walking besides Shirou towards Homurahara. She has been attending the school, along with her 'son', for little more then two months now. She started off a bit wonky, as her knowledge wasn't on par with the rest of the student body. It amazed Shirou how fast she had caught up. As had Mordred. From the moment they had enrolled, it had become a competition to outdo each other. Shirou glanced at Arturia and gave a small sigh.

"Nothing." Shirou sighed again.

"Please stop that, Shirou. You're making me feel uncomfortable. Just tell me what is wrong."

"You really hate to lose." Shirou muttered.

"When you are challenged you should do everything to attain victory." Arturia tried defending herself.

"You get angry when people go easy on you and you sulk when you lose." Shirou countered. "And it gets even worse when you go against Mordred. You and Mordred ran everybody off the track, just a couple of weeks ago. Nobody dared to go near you two."

"I can not let a challenge go unanswered." Arturia averted her eyes. Shirou sighed in resignation.

At the school gates they met with Issei. "Yo, Emiya. Arturia-san." He greeted them.

"Good morning, Issei-san." Arturia returned the greet politely. "Good to see you going about your duties, as always."

"Thank you." Issei smiled. "Hey, have you guys heard?"

"About what?" Shirou asked.

"About the mass fainting." Issei informed them. "There was another one last night, a group of office workers collapsed again during the late shift. They say it was another gas leak."

"Ah, that. Yeah, I saw it on the news before Sakura left." Shirou recalled. "Perhaps we should keep an eye on our gas as well. Though, it would be very unlikely."

"It was probably nothing more then a freak accident. Although it being the Fourth..." Issei pondered over it for a moment. "By the way, I heard Sakura has been staying more often at your place these last couple of months."

"Indeed. Around the time that Arturia and Mordred started attending." Shirou turned to look at the building.

"That's not so surprising." Issei eyed Arturia. "You are a very lucky man, you know that? Kah!"

"Huh? I don't really think I'm luckier than the next person." Shirou didn't understand what Issei was implying. "What do you mean with that?"

"I never thought you were that dense a person." Tohsaka quipped as she joined the trio. "Good morning, Arturia. Issei."

"Fox. You're early. To what do we owe this displeasure?" Issei's mood turned sour. "But regardless, I can agree with you on that."

"That's rare." Shirou blinked.

"Indeed." Issei sighed. "Anyway, can you help me out with some repairs today?"

"Sure thing, Issei. Sorry, Arturia. I'll be going with Issei. Or will you tag along?" Arturia shook her head ever so slightly.

"No. I will talk with Rin for a while." Rin looked at Arturia, wondering what they would talk about.

"Ok. See you later." And Shirou followed Issei to the building.

"So. What is it that you want to talk about?" Rin began. "Is it something pressing?"

"Not necessarily. Do you think Shirou is really dense?" Arturia tilted her head. "He doesn't strike me as such."

"He is. Say, do you like him?" This question had been popping up in her mind from time to time.

"He is trustworthy and dependable. I consider him a dear friend." Arturia stated calmly.

_Shirou isn't the only one who's dense._ Tohsaka sighed from exasperation. "That's not what I meant."

Arturia blinked once, not understanding, before continuing. "As I said, he is very reliable. However..."

"However?" Tohsaka got curious.

"He seems to have no regard for his own life. When he was in Camelot, there was a fire and the inn burned down." Arturia's gaze trailed off into the distance, as if she was watching that scene right now. "Shirou charged in the flames to rescue a girl and though he saved her, he had nearly died because of it."

"I believe I've heard it before. When you first arrived here, I believe." Tohsaka couldn't really remember when this had come up. "Hmmm. Why don't we go and walk around for a bit and while we're at it, let's change the subject. I always wondered what you did for fun in Camelot."

"Not much. Occasionally I did some hunting. But my duties as king take precedence over everything. If the people are happy then I'm happy." Arturia explained as they walked around the school grounds.

Tohsaka stared at her for a moment, as the meaning of those words sank in. "But you're not having fun. How is that good? You sound like Shirou. Helping others is it's own reward. You two are very much alike."

"That might just be the case. I felt a connection with him from the day we met. I dare say we kindred spirits." Arturia smiled. "And..."

"And?" Tohsaka looked with expectation at Arturia, who had suddenly fallen silent. "Is there something wrong?"

"How should I put this. I think I saw part of Shirou's memories in my dreams." Arturia revealed, baffling Rin.

"What do you mean? You saw his memories?" Tohsaka felt very much intrigued.

"I've had several dreams. I believe they had started when Shirou arrived in Britain. " Arturia looked at the sky. "The first was a dream about a fire, the city was burning and a boy was walking among all the fire and death. I began to suspect it when I learned that it actually happened."

"Hmmm. That's odd. I'm surprised that you came with that problem to me and not Merlin." Tohsaka pointed out.

"I was hesitant at first, since I couldn't figure out the reason behind it." Arturia clarified. "And I did ask Merlin. But..." She frowned. "His explanation was rather unclear. He said that he only had some ideas about what could be the cause, so asked me to wait while he investigates. I can't help but think that he is hiding something."

"From what I know of him, it wouldn't be surprising if he did." Arturia nodded in acknowledgment. "That being said... did you ask Shirou if he had dreams of your memories?"

"I hadn't thought about that." Arturia admitted. "True. If I see his memories, then the reverse could also be possible."

"It seems that there is a strong connection between you two. I think that it might have something to do with the Holy Grail War ten years ago." Tohsaka deduced.

"Speaking of which, isn't the time nearly upon us?" Arturia remembered.

"Correct." Tohsaka brushed through her hair. "And I will be participating." She smiled confidently. "You just make sure that Mordred doesn't interfere."

"I will." Arturia ensured her.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

During lunch, Mordred was sitting with the trio and Ayako, eating a large serving. At least twice the size of the others. "Say." She began a conversation. "Did you also hear about that new gas leak?"

"Yes. It was a major news topic." Yukika replied. "It made my mother worry so much that she checked our own gas."

"It was really weird. I believe a couple of them even died." Makidera added, waving her chopsticks around.

"It is awful." Yukika sighed.

"I never knew gas could be so unreliable." Mordred leaned back. "Does this happen often?"

"No, not really." Ayako looked at her. "Those kind of systems are very reliable nowadays. But you never get one hundred percent certainty. It probably was just an unfortunate coincidence."

"What are you talking about?" They turned to see Tohsaka standing next to them. And not only her, but Shirou, Sakura and Arturia as well.

"We were talking about the gas leaks." Kane informed them.

"Ah, that." Tohsaka looked at the other end of the table. "May we join you guys?"

"Uhhh." Ayako and the trio looked from Mordred to Arturia, who were staring at each other.

"I don't mind." Mordred averted her gaze and went back to her meal.

"Thank you." Shirou moved past them to take a seat. "Oh, yeah. Don't you guys dare start an eating contest." He warned Mordred and Arturia, when he realized that they had equal sized portions.

"Oy, Shirou." Arturia grew indignant. Mordred too stared at him offended. "We wouldn't do such an inelegant thing." Mordred nodded in agreement.

"Who are you trying to fool?" Makidera grumbled. Mordred and Arturia looked at her. "Ever since you two enrolled, you began to compete with each other over the smallest thing."

"Now you're exaggerating." Mordred argued. "We've only did so occasionally."

"Indeed." Arturia joined her.

"Oh yeah? Let's see. You do it each time we have gym." Makidera raised her index finger. "Just yesterday, you started competing over who could jump highest. Even when everybody was out, you still continued until the teacher forced you two to stop." She held up two fingers. "The time before that, when we were holding a football match, you two being the team captains, drove your team mates on relentlessly."

"It's true." Sakura rubbed her legs. "My legs still feel sore."

Mordred and Arturia made nervous, guilty expressions. "Even just studying." Ayako continued with a heavy sigh. "I can't remember how many times we found you staying up all night to study, Mordred. Just to beat Arturia." Mordred sank a bit in her chair.

"I can relate. Arturia does the same." Shirou glared at her accusingly. Arturia blushed, her face showing clear guilt.

"You two make a battle of everything, in order to outdo each other." Tohsaka finished. "You two should stop doing that and try to have some fun for a change." Arturia and Mordred looked at each other, before averting their gazes. "Anyway, let's go back to those gas leaks." She turned toward Kane, who had been silent for most of the conversation. "Do you know something more about those accidents, Kane-san?"

"Ah, that's right. Kane-san's father is part of the police." Shirou remembered.

Kane looked at her. "There isn't much to add. What you heard on the news was all there is to know. However..."

"However? There is something more?" Mordred leaned forward.

"Yes, but before I tell you, can I trust on your discretion?" She looked at each of them. They all nodded. "Only one thing wasn't true of what you heard. They say those people had fainted because of a gas leak." Everybody was glued to her lips and leaned in closer as she had begun to whisper. "But the truth is that they have no idea what caused these incidents. When they examined the victims they found that their bodies were perfectly healthy, but their symptoms resembled those of severe anemia."

"Anemia? You mean blood loss?" Yukika whispered shocked. Kane nodded.

"That's weird. Do you think magic was involved?" Makidera blurted. Everybody, except Sakura tensed a little at her words.

"Uh, Makidera-senpai. Magic doesn't exist." Sakura smiled, slightly surprised. "Why would you think so?"

"Ah, uh? Because it's so weird, of course." Makidera was panicking slightly, as recognized her mistake. "I mean, suffering anemia, even though there are perfectly fine... I mean, that's weird right?"

Ay, yes. I guess so." Sakura tilted her head confused.

"You know, our food is getting cold." Shirou remarked.

"Ah, yes. Good idea, Shirou." Tohsaka agreed.

"Oh, you haven't finished yet?" Arturia asked. Everybody turned to see that her obento was all gone. _"So fast!"_ Everybody thought in unison.

"Arturia-san and Mo-san have equal appetites, but it looks like Arturia is the faster eater." Yukika chuckled. "Sorry, Mo-san." Mordred puffed her cheeks and continued her half finished meal.

Later that evening, Arturia was walking through Shinto city carrying a paper bag. She smiled as she glanced inside for a moment, happy with her purchase. That moment was long enough to bump into someone.

"Whoops!" The man responded trying to catch Arturia, to prevent her from falling back. But Arturia quickly regained her balance. "Careful there little girl."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention there." Arturia apologized to the man. The man was tall, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and had ultramarine colored hair. He was in perfect shape as far as she could tell.

"No problem, Lady." The man looked at her from head to toe. "I must say, you sure are a fine young woman."

Taken a bit by surprise, Arturia hesitated for a moment to respond. "Uh, excuse me?"

"O, sorry. I couldn't help it. You look quite strong. And judging from how you regained your balance you are skilled in the martial arts." The man noted.

Arturia looked at him, judging. "I could say the same thing about you, sir. The fluidity of your movements and even just you're presence... I hope you don't mind me saying this, it feels bestial."

"Hahaha. You've got a pretty sharp eye." The man laughed.

"There you are." A voice called out. A young woman, dressed up in a business suit, walked up behind him. "Picking up girls again, aren't you." She chided him.

"Ahh! Sorry, sorry." The man apologized with a cordial grin. "We just bumped into each other by accident."

"What he says is true. I wasn't paying attention and bumped into him." Arturia backed up his claim.

"Hmmm. In that case..." She turned towards the man and walked straight up to him. "Regardless. Could you please stop doing that. It's a hassle. And then there is the matter of your clumsiness. Like when you let that guy get away."

"I'm sorry. But I chased him away, didn't I. We won't be seeing him again." The man responded awkwardly. "Look, why don't we go and grab something to eat? You've been eating nothing but canned stuff for five days."

"Canned food? For five days?" Arturia shuddered.

"Is there something wrong? You look pale." The woman asked worried.

"You haven't eaten anything other than canned food?" Arturia shivered. "Your strength of will is impressive."

"Uh? What do you mean?" The woman looked at the man who was equally confused.

"I like good food. So the thought of eating nothing but canned food is truly unsettling for me." She could do it if necessary as she once had. But now she felt she wouldn't be able to do so after tasting Shirou's cooking. "If I may say so, I think you should follow his suggestion."

"You see. Even the lady agrees with me." He already started to move. "Are you coming then?"

"Very well then." She made an awkward gesture. "It's not like this is a date, anyway. Hey, wait. I wasn't done talking with you." The man grinned as the woman followed him.

Arturia tilted her head. "Hey. May I ask your name?" The woman paused and looked back at her. "I am Arturia Pendragon."

The woman looked stunned for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. "It's Bazett. Bazett Fraga McRemitz."

"A pleasure to meet you. Maybe we will meet again." Arturia liked the feel of Bazett. She could tell that she was a good person.

Bazett looked at her in a peculiar way, as if she was certain that they would meet again. "Perhaps. Good bye, Pendragon-san." And she hurried after the man.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Looks good, Shirou. So, Merlin has been tutoring you since Camelot?" Tohsaka examined the sword. These last few months Shirou had been practicing his projection almost every evening. Shirou was currently able to project most simple objects without much defects. He was coming along well.

"Well, training is a bit much. He more or less showed me the right path and told me a few things about magecraft, but that was about it." Indeed. In hindsight, Merlin really hadn't taught him that much.

"Oho. Should I take you on as an apprentice then?" Tohsaka put the sword back down.

"Really? Why?" Shirou wondered.

"Because your knowledge is severely lacking. And as I learned from Merlin, your father failed in properly instructing you. No, he failed in his duties as a Magus." Tohsaka grew indignant. "As a Magus myself, I find that unacceptable. Besides, maybe you could make a valuable ally. Someday." She added teasingly.

"Someday?" This annoyed Shirou a little. He had been interacting with Tohsaka more frequently since Arturia and the others arrived here. During this time he got to see a little more of Tohsaka's real personality. "Anyway, are you staying for dinner? Bedivere said he was going out this evening, so we got a free spot."

"Thank you Shirou. Unfortunately I can't. I have something important to do tonight." Tohsaka declined. Certain preparations needed to be made.

"Alright, I...? Bedivere!?" Bedivere stood in the doorway of the shed. He was all tidied up, wearing a blue, freshly ironed pants and vest with a tidy white shirt underneath. His shoes were also polished to a shine.

"Oh, my. Shirou told me you were going out, but it seems rather serious from the looks of your attire." Tohsaka examined him from head to toe.

"Because it is." Bedivere straightened himself. "I'm about to leave now. However, before I go I need to tell you, Shirou, that Taiga won't be eating with you either this evening." Tohsaka lifted her eyebrows, seeing where this was going.

"She won't be coming? Looks like Arturia can enjoy more than one portion then." Shirou remarked. "Can I ask where you are going?" At that moment the doorbell rang. "Hang on. I'll be right back."

"No need, Shirou. I'll go with you." Bedivere followed him. Tohsaka too, followed. Her face full of expectation.

When Shirou opened the front door, his mouth fell open. There stood Fujimura Taiga, wearing a tiger striped dress. The dress was a push-up type which reached to her knees. A matching shawl was draped over her shoulders. Her hair was neatly combed and had a flower decorated hairpin in it. Finally she wore matching medium heeled sandals. "Good evening, Shirou. Ah, Tohsaka-san is here too?"

"Good evening, Fujimura-sensei. Going on a date with Bedivere-san this evening?" Tohsaka observed. Shirou was still staring at her in disbelief.

"Indeed, I am. Me and Bedi-chan are going to have a good time tonight." She smiled. "You should stop gaping like that, Shirou." Shirou closed his mouth, but was still dumbfounded. "Are you ready to go, Bedi-chan?"

"I am, my dear." Shirou turned towards Bedivere. My Dear? Bedivere laughed. "I guess our dear Shirou has difficulty in grasping what is happening here." He patted Shirou on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Shirou. It's only because you are so close to her that you can't believe it. You will come to accept it in due time." He stepped outside and offered Taiga his arm, which she gladly accepted. "Good night." He said as he and Taiga walked down the street.

Tohsaka was bursting from laughter from Shirou's dumbfounded face. Shirou looked at her incredulously. "What's so funny?"

"What's so funny is that expression of yours. Did you really think it is so impossible?" Tohsaka began to regain her composure.

"It came as a total surprise." Shirou defended.

"What do you mean? I think the signs were pretty obvious." Shirou withdrew in thought. The signs? Perhaps he really had seen them. "Well whatever. I'll be returning home. Will you consider my proposal?"

"No need to. I accept it." Shirou had decided it almost immediately when she offered it.

"As expected. Well then, Shirou. I will be returning tomorrow to start your lessons." She put on her shoes and walked through the door.

"Fine, Tohsaka. See you tomorrow." Tohsaka nodded and left. Shirou saw her passing Arturia, who was just returning. They exchanged a short greeting before continuing their paths.

"Hey, Arturia. Did you find what you were looking for?" Shirou looked at the bag she was holding.

"Uhm, yes. Found those delicious meatbuns I was looking for." She took one from the bag.

"More food?" Shirou sighed. "Please don't eat too much. Dinner will be made shortly."

"Don't worry, Shirou. There is always room for your cooking." Arturia closed her eyes, licking her lips. She is such a glutton. "I saw Bedivere and Taiga on the way here. If I'm not mistaken, they are having a … What do they call it nowadays? A date?"

"Looks like it. I've never expected Fuji-nee to go on a date." Shirou looked into the distance, as if he could still see them.

"That has more to do with your relationship with her. She is more feminine than you realize." Arturia knew this for a fact. "So, what will you make for dinner?" Shirou smiled as Arturia entered.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Mordred was heading for the castle in all haste. After two months she had received a message through her necklace. Giraud and Dunstan had returned with their men. And this time her mother was here as well. She swore under her breath. If her mother was here, things will get really complicated, really quick. She could see several men moving supplies into the castle as she approached. The men saluted as she passed them. Her mother was standing in the foyer. "Ah, my son. So good that you could come right away." As always there was no love in her voice. "Did you have a good time loitering around?" Mordred bit her lip. "Tst, tst, tst. And here I was putting so much effort in preparing 'your' rebellion."

"Let's cut to the case. What are your plans, regarding the Holy Grail War?" Mordred changed the subject. "Will we try to summon our own, or will you 'steal' one?"

"The latter one. Since we don't have a catalyst, I believe this to be our best choice." Morgan began ascending the stairs. Mordred followed her. From the corner of her eye she spotted Agravain talking with Dunstan. "What can you tell me about that priest? He sounds intriguing."

"I wouldn't trust him. I don't really know what his deal is, but he has is own agenda." Mordred stated. "And then there is that golden man."

"Golden man?" This got her attention.

"Yes. I call him that, because everything about him feels golden. We best avoid antagonizing him." Mordred urged. "Whoever he is, he is very powerful and taking him lightly is foolish in the extreme."

"Hmmmm. Then we'll try to persuade him to aid us." Yes, that would be perfect. If that man is really that powerful, his strength would be invaluable. "Now. Will you be staying here?"

"No. I will be returning to the town. I like it better there." Mordred started away. "If that was everything for this evening, I will be leaving now." Morgan simply gave a nod.

A short while later, Mordred was walking through Shinto. Ayako had told her that she would be going to a movie this evening. She had invited Mordred to join her, but then this happened. It was getting late. Ayako would probably be home again. Or not. Mordred just spotted her going in an alley. Looks like something got her attention. Mordred moved towards the alley, curious about what is going on. However. The moment she got closer to the alley, her instincts alerted her. Something was wrong. She dashed forward, taking out Clarent as she did.

As always, her instincts were correct. There Ayako was being restrained by a very tall woman, with purple hair that was just as long as her body. The next moment, Mordred realized that the woman was seemingly sucking on Ayako. "Let her go, scum!" The woman let Ayako slide to the ground, as she turned. Mordred was already closing the distance, Clarent making it's deadly arc. The woman dodged the attack. She jumped around like an acrobat, but with a serpentine like grace. Then stopped a short distance further.

"Ayako! Are you all right?" Mordred kneeled next to her, not leaving the assailant out of sight. Ayako moaned. A quick glimpse showed Ayako turning her head with a dazed expression. Mordred gave the woman a murderous glare. "What did you do? Who are you?!"

The woman simply stood there silently, giving Mordred a good view of her. She wore a black, short dress made of firm material and thigh-high, black boots. The thing that struck Mordred as most odd, was the blinder she was wearing. Mordred felt that they hid something powerful.

"You'll pay for hurting her."Mordred flew towards her and again the woman dodged. Mordred pressed her attack. Suddenly the woman drew out a pair of daggers, connected to each other with a chain, out of nowhere. She attacked. First she blocked Mordred's swing with the left dagger, and followed up with throwing the other one at Mordred's leg. Mordred avoided it. The woman executed a powerful kick to Mordred's stomach, but Mordred jumped backwards.

"Is that all you got?" Mordred taunted. The woman didn't even react. She once again rushed Mordred, aiming for her neck. Mordred blocked the dagger. Their faces came within inches of each other. Mordred's instincts went of like crazy. The other dagger was making a circumventing maneuver, like the tip of a whip, to strike Mordred in her back. Mordred roared in defiance. As if she would let that happen. She executed a full-power 360 degree swing, cutting through a nearby wall and carving up the pavement. She knocked the dagger aside and forced the woman to jump away. When Mordred reacquired her target, her mouth almost dropped open. The woman was now standing on the facade of a building.

"What are...?" The woman stood on the wall like Mordred was standing on the ground. She simply defied gravity. A revelation hit Mordred. Yes. It is so obvious. She was a Servant. "Who are you Servant?"

"You know what I am?" The woman sounded almost surprised. "No matter. I am the Servant Rider." She turned and began to move further up the wall. "We will meet again."

"Hey, wait!" Rider disappeared over the building. "So that is a Servant. Rider? More like an assassin." She put away her sword and lifted Ayako up. "Let's get you some help." It was better that her parents didn't know about this. So Mordred decided to seek help from Tohsaka.

Mordred stood before the entrance of the Tohsaka mansion. She couldn't enter without Rin's permission. Mordred put down Ayako, who almost fell over. Mordred caught her and eased against a tree. Mordred picked up a stone and tossed it at the door. It hit with a loud bang. A minute later, Tohsaka came out and let them in. She was visibly shocked by Ayako's condition.

"Put her on the bed." Mordred did as instructed. Tohsaka began her examination. She first felt her pulse and looked in her eyes. When she used magic to determine her od. "Her od has been drained." She looked at the bite mark on Ayako's neck. "What happened exactly."

"She was attacked... by the Servant Rider."

"Servant...Rider?" Tohsaka repeated.

"Why would a Servant attack somebody who has nothing to do with the War?" Mordred was waiting to ask that.

"You are what you eat." Tohsaka murmured. Mordred narrowed her eyes. "Servants are spirits, souls of great heroes of ages past. If they attack a human it is to consume them. An effective method to increase ones prana reserves for their Servant."

"So, Rider is devouring people to increase her stock of Prana." Mordred gritted her teeth. "Does that mean she is weak?"

"No, not necessarily. Servants draw upon the Prana reserves of their master to maintain their presence here." Tohsaka explained. "So, it can also mean that her Master is not powerful enough to support her." Mordred nodded in understanding.

"I see. A third rate Magus." Mordred scoffed. "How is Ayako doing?"

"She will live. A couple of days of rest and she will fully recover." Mordred felt relieved. "I will brew here something to speed up her recovery. Please watch over her for me."

Mordred sat down next to Ayako, keeping a close eye on her. An hour later, Tohsaka returned with her concoction and had Ayako drink it. Half an hour later, Ayako regained consciousness.

"Ugh? What? Mordred?" She went to sit up right. Mordred aided her as Ayako was still weak. "Looks like you tow saved me again."

"You remember what happened?" Tohsaka sat on the bed.

"I remember being grabbed. The next moment, I felt like all energy just left me." She looked at Mordred. "Before I lost conscious, I saw Mordred fight of a very tall woman."

"Correct. Apparently it was a Servant." Mordred explained.

"Servant?" Ayako felt confused. Then she remembered. Mordred had said something about that some time ago. The Holy Grail War. "So that thing has begun?" She looked at Tohsaka.

"Indeed it has." She confirmed. "But first thing first. How do you feel?"

"A bit better. There is a very bitter taste in my mouth, though."

"That is the medicine Tohsaka gave you." Mordred smirked. "Potions usually taste bad."

"We should probably inform you parents that you're here. It's pretty late already." Tohsaka looked at the clock. It red eleven o'clock.

"Hang on a minute. I will send them a text message." Mordred whipped out her cell phone.

"Huh? A text message?" Tohsaka looked at Mordred's phone. From what she could tell, it was made up of only a screen. "Where are the buttons?"

"It uses a touch screen. It allows you to type by touching the screen and such." Mordred grinned.

"A touch-what?" Tohsaka was getting distraught. She didn't understand anything what Mordred was saying.

"Tohsaka, you're analog." Ayako laughed.


	34. Chapter 33

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 33: The first clash

"How are your preparations going, Shinji?" Zouken asked. "Are you going to go through with it?"

"That depends on the situation. Since I can't provide Rider with Prana, I will probably end up using the Blood fort." Shinji swiped through his hair. "The only question is when."

"Uhm. Are you really going to sacrifice the whole school?" Sakura fidgeted. "You even attacked Ayako."

"I will go through with it, if the situation calls for it." Shinji didn't even look at her. "I will do whatever it takes to win. And you can't do a thing about it, so shut up. Ayako was just a warm up. Hmmpf. Besides, she deserved it."

"Of course, it would be a different matter, if you chose to fight instead." Zouken laughed ghastly. Shinji tensed up and clasped the Grimoire tightly, casting a hateful glare at Sakura. Sakura took a few steps back. She didn't want to fight. But she also didn't want Shinji to hurt her friends. She simply couldn't find the courage to do this.

"Disappointing." Zouken scoffed, before turning his attention back to Shinji. "Don't fail me, Shinji. How you perform in the War will be the deciding factor. Use Rider wisely." Shinji gulped, but tried to pretend that he wasn't scared.

"Speaking of her. C...Couldn't you chose a better one?" Zouken stared at Shinji with one eye closed, taken a bit by surprise by this momentary display of defiance. "I never thought that Mordred would be able to fight of Rider. ...Rider!" Rider appeared next to him. "Can you explain to us why you let that girl chase you off?"

"She was unexpectedly strong." Rider explained. "I admit that I was taken by surprise. It will not happen again."

"It is not that surprising. She is the famous Knight of Treachery after all." Zouken sighed;

"Huh? What do you mean? Are you saying that she is the real Mordred from the Legend of King Arthur?" Shinji scowled, thinking that Zouken was messing with him.

"I am serious. When the Grail was destroyed ten years ago, it somehow created a passage to the past. To the time of King Arthur." Zouken looked outside the window. "I still have a couple of reliable contacts within the Association and they have confirmed this. Mordred came here looking for the Grail, and her father and her knights followed her here."

Shinji was bewildered, his mouth hanging open. Rider was also silent. She never expected to fight a 'living' legend. Only other Servants. "So, does that mean that Arturia is King Arthur?" Zouken nodded. "If Mordred is going for the Grail... I have to face a living legend. There is no way I can beat her."

"You don't need to. Just avoid coming into conflict with her." Zouken laughed. "Of course, if you believe that you aren't up for the challenge..."

"I'll do it. Just you wait." Shinji tried to act big, but he was clearly shaken. He couldn't afford to show weakness. He too, had a lot riding on this.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The next evening Tohsaka went to Shirou's house to talk with them about what was happening in the town. She called before hand to make sure that Sakura or Taiga weren't there. Rin didn't want any inconveniences. Arriving at the front door, she pressed the doorbell.

A couple of moments later, Shirou opened the door. "Good evening, Tohsaka."

"Good evening, Shirou. I take it everybody is here." She entered.

"Everybody is here. Merlin said he wanted to say something about the mysterious incidents plaguing the city." Shirou pointed over his shoulder. "I think he may have found the cause of those mass-faintings."

"Really? I have been looking into some of them too." She smiled. "Let's see what we have learned."

Everybody sat down around the table. Shirou had prepared drinks for everybody for convenience sake. After taking a sip of tea, Tohsaka opened the conversation. "Alright. Let's begin. I believe you want to share something with us, Merlin?"

"Indeed, I do." Merlin straightened himself. "Regarding the mass faintings, I now have confirmed that it is the work of a magus."

"I thought as much. We have come to the same conclusion. I also investigated one of the scenes and I found traces of a witch's potion that destroys love."

"So we are dealing with a woman. One which harbors quite the grudge against men." Bedivere extrapolated. "What else have you learned?"

"That the magus is gathering huge stores of Prana with this method." Tohsaka continued, shaking her head. "And that she is doing it from the Ryuudou temple."

"The temple? A strong position. This will prove troublesome." Arturia looked at Merlin. "Can you beat this magus?"

"Hahahah! Absolutely... not." Merlin chuckled sheepishly.

""Huh?"" Everybody responded in unison, except for Tohsaka.

"That's a surprise. The infamous flower mage admits he can't win just like that." Kay was baffled. When had Merlin ever said something like this?

"Why is that, Merlin?" Arturia wanted to know. Merlin had always come through in the end, except for that one time. Merlin just raised his hands defensively and looked meaningful to Tohsaka.

"Very well. I will explain it." Tohsaka sighed. "It's because this magus is a Servant."

"A Servant? You mean from the Holy Grail War?" Gawain finished the explanation. Now they understood.

"Correct. And since she is more powerful than Merlin, it might even be possible for her to be from the Age of the Gods." Tohsaka elaborated further.

"As such I doubt I can defeat her in a battle of magecraft." Merlin finished.

"This is not good." Shirou said what everyone thought. "Looks like the Holy Grail War is accelerating."

"If this magus is really that powerful, a combined assault or an ambush would be the best course of action." Bedivere motioned. "An ambush would be the most ideal one."

"I agree, Bedivere." Kay affirmed. "By the way, how was your date with Taiga?" He smirked as Bedivere smiled.

"It was very enjoyable." He admitted. Everybody was amused by his answer, until Arturia returned to the issue at hand.

"Let us not move off topic. The problem here is that the enemy is holding up in the temple." She crossed her arms. "If we start fighting there, it will become very dangerous for its residents. It also very doubtful that she will not leave such a well defensible position."

"Lady Rin. You are certain the magus is a woman?" Gawain leaned back.

"As I said, I found traces a certain witch's potion that 'destroys love'." She sighed. "In other words, she made the men impotent."

"This woman holds quite the grudge towards men. We should better be twice as careful." Gawain shrugged. "A woman's scorn is a dreadful thing indeed."

"Have other Servants been summoned already?" Kay posed the next question.

"Yes. By my knowledge five Servants have been summoned already. They are Lancer, Beserker, Caster, Assassin and Rider. The referee told me." She clarified after seeing Kay's inquisitive look. "

"Who is the referee?" Arturia asked.

"He is that fake priest Kotomine Kirei. He was my mentor ever since my father died." She didn't bother masking her annoyance.

"I take it you are not on the best of terms with him." Kay rubbed his chin. "Any reason for that? Also, why do you call him a fake priest?"

"To put it simply I don't trust him And the reason why I call him a fake priest, is because he is." Tohsaka grumbled a little. "He is a member of the Church, who's members consider Magi as heretics. Yet he himself studied magecraft under my father's tutelage. I advise that you don't trust him either."

"We will keep that in mind." Kay declared.

"Smart decision. Now, another thing that concerns me is that we seem to have quite a few magi who are willing to attack bystanders to increase their prana supply." Tohsaka leaned on her elbows. Not just Caster, but Rider as well."

"What did Rider do?" Shirou got a bad feeling about it.

"She attacked Ayako." Tohsaka gritted her teeth. This shocked everybody in the room. They all knew her personally and liked her for that matter, too. "Luckily Mordred was there to save her. "

"That's good to hear." Arturia was very pleased. "Mordred once again proved to be a model knight."

"Indeed she is." Gawain sighed. The other knights nodded in agreement. No matter their differences with Mordred, they couldn't deny that aspect of her.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Morgan was standing on the hill, near the edge of the forest, looking down upon the city. She was actually impressed by the sight of it. This city, from the looks alone, would most likely house more than two hundredth of Britain's current population. Agravain, Giraud and Dunstan stood next to her.

Agravain too was taking in the sight, equally impressed. "That is quite the city. Humanity has progressed very far indeed."

"Indeed. Now let's take a closer look." Morgan started to walk towards the city. She employed suggestion magecraft of course to avoid any unwanted attention. She was rarely impressed, but here even the omnipresence of flameless lights ware impressive and intriguing. "What do you think Agravain? Will we run into one of these Servants tonight?"

"Let us hope so, milady. The sooner we can get our hands on the Grail, the sooner we can overthrow your sister." He gave a smug smile.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

On the roof of the Verde, two new visitors arrived. Lancelot and Guinevere. Lancelot caught Guinevere, preventing her from smacking against the floor upon arrival. "Thank you, dear." She smiled. "Oh, my. What a sight to behold." Her eyes went wide upon seeing the skyscrapers looming over them. Lancelot whistled as he looked up to them.

"Shirou's words don't do them justice." Lancelot stared in wonder.

"Shall we go? We can sight see on our way there. Uhm, do you know where we need to go?" Guinevere looked down from the roof.

"I asked Shirou a lot of things during his stay. From what I remember, his house is on the other side of the river." Lancelot pointed towards the river. "I hope we don't attract too much attention." He pulled his mantle more tightly around him, to hide his armor. "I would say we should stick to the shadows, but..."

"That would be a little difficult." Guinevere grinned. Difficult indeed, seeing as there were lights everywhere. "There is no mud on the streets at all. Everything is covered with stone. I could just have worn my dress here." She looked down at her body. For this travel, she had opted to don a brown, silver embroided vest, a loose, white pants and high leather boots. Such a thing would barely be tolerated for most women.

"I think you look very good in it." Lancelot pressed her against him in a tight embrace.

"Now is not the time, dear." She teased, as she pushed herself off. "Shall we get going?" They both started looking for a way down.

A short while later they had found their way to the other side of the river. Here there were considerably less people around. Not that strange, seeing as it was past midnight. When they neared a large intersection, things changed. As they arrived at the corner, a tall, blue haired man bumped into Guinevere.

"Ah, sorry miss." The man quickly apologized, after preventing her from falling to the ground. "My bad."

"No, no. Good sir. Everything is alright." Guinevere bowed gratefully.

"You're a real lady aren't ya?" He laughed. Until his eyes math Lancelot's, upon which he became serious. "And with a knight as escort." One could call it a warriors instinct. The man had realized the Lancelot's armor was not for show. Lancelot in turn knew that this man was potential trouble. "You seem strong. Warriors of this time don't wear armor like that anymore. So to say, I'm guessing that you're not from around here"

"I can say the same about you, sir. My name is Lancelot. With whom do we have the honor of conversing with?" Lancelot asked courteously, while being on guard.

"Ah, I can't really give my name due to circumstances. So you can call me Lancer." The man grinned bestial.

"Lancer? You are a Servant of the Holy Grail War?" Lancelot put his hand on Arondight's handle. Guinevere took a few steps back.

"Ho? So you know of it?" Suddenly the man's clothes seamed to dissolve, making place for a blue suit. In his hand appeared a beautiful, red spear. "You aren't a Servant. So tell me... Are you here to claim the Grail? If so, then we are bound to clash."

Upon those words, Lancelot calmed down. "No, we are not. We came here to resolve some personal issues." Lancer also lowered his spear.

"Lancer!" A voice rang out. A woman appeared, clad in a black suit. "There you are. Don't wander off like that. And... Is there an enemy nearby?" She switched to combat mode upon seeing Lancer in his battle attire.

"No, no, Master. I'm talking with these tow people here." Lancelot and Guinevere were standing around the corner, so the woman hadn't seen them yet. She rushed over to see them.

"Who are you people, If I may ask. No, are you from the past?" The woman stared at them. Lancelot replied, but she couldn't understand him, so she looked at Lancer.

"She asks for your name and if you came from the past." Lancer smirked.

"I am Sir Lancelot of the round table. Pardon me, I mean former member. And this is the Lady Guinevere. That is what he said." Lancer translated.

"So, you are. This complicates things. I was already aware that King Arthur and some others were here already. Now you two." She looked at them. "Uhm, my name is Bazett Fraga McRemitz by the way." She added a little awkward. Lancelot translated for her.

"So, I take it you are participating in this War, lady Bazett." Guinevere inquire. "Since you know of the King, are you by chance aware where we can find her?"

"No, I don't, miss Guinevere. Hmm. I suggest we go to my hideout to discuss this situation further." Bazett proposed. "I would like to avoid prying eyes."

"Oh, why would you want to do that?" A cold voice resounded through the air. They all turned to see Morgan le Fay, along with Dunstan and Giraud. "Would you allow us to join?"

"Morgan le Fay!" Lancelot jumped in front of Guinevere, his sword drawn.

"Is that Morgan le Fay? Hmm. Much too cold hearted for my taste." Lancer remarked.

"You know of me?" She lifted an eyebrow.

"Of course. You were legendary enough to be placed on the Throne of heroes." Lancer replied. "Servants posses knowledge about every Heroic Spirit there is. So even if you aren't one, by giving me your name, I know a lot more about you than you of me."

"Aha. So you are a Servant. Then I take it that woman is you Master. Good, Good." An evil grin appeared on her lips. "I'll be taking her Command Spell then." She pointed at Bazett, who got the gist of what she was implying. "And don't try to intervene, Lancelot."

"I don't think you can dissuade me." He prepared for an attack.

"It's true that with your skills you have a good chance of defeating me. But that would mean leaving poor Guinevere unprotected." She cackled. Guinevere made a face that would make an angry cat proud.

"Even if he can't join the fight, I would recommend not to forget me." Lancer took a fighting stance. "Really, I just don't have any luck with women." Giraud and Dunstan prepared for battle. "Here we go."

Lancer launched himself forward. Everybody was taken by surprise. Even Lancelot was very much impressed by his speed. Giraud and Dunstan braced themselves. Lancer swung his spear in such a quick and fluid motion that it seemed as if it had transformed into a whip. The spear hit them so hard that they were flung aside.

"Remember Lancer! We can't kill them!" Bazett warned him.

"I know that." Lancer sighed annoyed, as Morgan blocked his attack with a barrier. "So annoying."

"But very convenient for us." Morgan smirked. "She should be more worried about herself." Morgan laughed. That laugh faded when she saw Lancer's smile.

"Don't worry, my master can defend herself well enough."

Bazett managed to dodge the attack in time. From the shadows, Agravain appeared.

"You knave." Lancelot gnashed his teeth from indignance. "Attacking from the shadows is unfitting for a knight."

"Spare me your lecture, disgraced Sir Lancelot. I am an assassin anyway." He turned his attention back to Bazett. "Mind if we dance together?" Bazett merely looked at him calmly. "I take that as a yes. Since magi from this time are weaker than those of our time, I'll warn you that I have defeated magi before." Confident that he had the upper hand, Agravain was taken by surprise.

Bazett's hands and feet suddenly started to glow and she closed the distance in a flash. Wide-eyed, Agravain blocked the first blow. The magically augmented punch hit his sword with the force of a sledgehammer. As did the next one. Bazett attacked in rapid succession, forcing Agravain on the defensive. After a short while he finally managed to gain some distance from her. Just what was going on here? This didn't make any sense. Fire, wind, turning invisible, summoning a familiar... Any one of those things he could have understood. But a magus fighting with hand to hand combat? That was just too strange.

"She is good, isn't she?" Guinevere asked rhetorically. Lancelot nodded slightly. Bazett really was good.

Bazett continued her onslaught and finally managed to strike a blow to Agravains stomach, knocking him back. Agravain used the force to gain some distance. That was all he needed to regain an equilibrium. Now it was his turn. He came in hard and fast. Bazett managed to keep her guard up and even returned some of the blows. But Agravain was gaining the upper hand.

Morgan was hard pressed in keeping Lancer at bay. Red and purple tendrils made of smoke, formed a circle around her while lashing out at Lancer each time he got too close. At the same time, Morgan launched spinning, crystal disks at him. Unfortunately, Lancer possessed the skill 'Protection from arrows'. Ranged weapons were of little use against him, which became painfully obvious as he swatted the discs aside like nothing. And to make matters worse, Morgan began to feel tired. In an attempt to gain the upper hand she began to launch explosive orbs at him, which force him a bit further back. Morgan knew she had to try something different and she already knew what.

She fired an orb towards Bazett, who was pre-occupied with Agravain. "That is low." Lancer growled. As expected he intercepted the orb. The resulting blast threw him aside, but caused little to no damage. Lancer dodged Morgan's follow up. Her plan had failed. "Woman. That was a big mistake. Lancer jumped away, increasing the distance considerably. Then, he took a stance like a beast ready to pounce on his prey and held his spear in a throwing manner. Morgan broke out in cold sweat, when she felt the amount of Prana being emitted.

Giraud and Dunstan had decided to aid Agravain instead, but then Lancelot blocked their way. After witnessing Morgan's fight with Lancer, he was certain that she was too busy to worry about him. "Mind if I be your opponent." Both took a step back. Suddenly Lancelot's attention was drawn by something. Wondering why someone like him suddenly was distracted they turned to look what was happening.

Over on Bazett and Agravain's side, Agravain also had his attention drawn by something. Bazett also felt something was amiss. Her face went pale when she saw Lancer preparing to use his noble phantasm.

"My lady!" Agravain dashed towards Lancer to stop him. Morgan hurried to pull up her most powerful defense, but it was too late. Lancer made a running jump and prepared to throw his spear.

"Gae..." Lancer could see the fear in Morgan's eyes. He knew he had her and he knew he was not supposed to kill her, but there were no absolutes in battle.

"DON'T DO IT!" Bazett shouted through the night. Her Command Spell activated and Lancer stopped in his tracks, landing on the ground. Agravain, Giraud and Dunstan used this chance to rush back to Morgan's side.

Morgan regained her composure. "That was a close one. We shall retreat for now." She looked smug at Bazett. "We will meet again." And they retreated.

Once they were gone, Bazett began to scold Lancer. "I told you Lancer. You can't kill any of them."

"I'm sorry Master. But I can't make any guarantees during battle." Lancer told her with a relaxed undertone. "She was also a lot stronger than anticipated. That said. What about those two?"

Bazett calmed down and looked at Lancelot and Guinevere. "Ask them to follow us."

Lancelot and Guinevere agreed and followed them to the mansion on top of the hill. A man looked on from the shadows as they entered. Kotomine Kirei. He sighed disappointed and left the scene. His plan was put on hold for now.

"This place has stood empty for a long time." Guinevere observed when they entered. "But it's still in pretty good shape all things considered."

They followed them to the upper floor and entered on of the rooms. There they took a seat around a round table. Bazett initiated the conversation. "So. What is it exactly that you came to do?" Lancer translated.

"We came here to help the King with her quest to bring back Mordred." Lancelot paused for a moment and looked at Guinevere. "And we came to hopefully clear up some issues between us and the king."

Bazett let the words sink in. "I can understand that, but I don't see why you needed to come here. You could have discussed those issues in your own time and you coming here will only further complicate an already complicated situation."

"I beg to differ. When Lancelot rescued me, we went to his castle in Gaul." Guinevere explained. "Because of our actions we are now in essence traitors. Which would make it difficult for us to resolve things personally with King Arthur. But here we could talk to her directly."

"I don't think I can persuade you to return now." Bazett sighed. Lancelot and Guinevere shook their heads. "Do you know where the King is? Where are you going to lodge during your stay?"

"Actually, I got an idea on where to find her. Do you know of a young man named Emiya Shirou? Or maybe you have heard of lady Tohsaka Rin?" Lancelot inquired.

"I know where they are. Tohsaka Rin is this city's overseer and Emiya Shirou was mentioned in the reports I read about King Arthur and her knights." Bazett revealed.

"That's wonderful news." Guinevere clasped her hands together. Could you take us there?"

"I could. However, I would suggest to wait until tomorrow. It's well past midnight. In a few hours the sun will rise." Bazett looked at a clock standing on the fireplace mantle.

"We can agree with that." Lancelot nodded. "May we rest here tonight?"

"You can. There are a lot of empty rooms here." She covered a yawn and stood up. "Now, I believe it would be best if we all took some rest. Uh, this is my room by the way."

"We have some more questions. But I do think some sleep would be a good idea, indeed." Guinevere agreed looking at Lancelot who agreed, tough he preferred to continue the conversation. They rose from their chairs. Bazett showed them the next best room and bid them good night.

"What do you think, Lancer?" Bazett was going over the situation in her head.

"They are a knight and his princess, no doubt. You don't have to worry about him attacking during your sleep. He also wouldn't challenge me to a fight. He knows he has an unfair advantage. He is that kind of person." Lancer looked over his shoulder at the door. "Sir Lancelot. Best friend of King Arthur and the perfect knight. A bit stiff if you ask me. So, what will you do?"

"We will bring them to the Tohsaka mansion, first thing tomorrow." Bazett decided. "Anyway, Lancer. Please guard the mansion for the remainder of the evening."

"Will do, Master." Lancer vanished into thin air. Bazett looked over her shoulder one more time, before going to bed.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tohsaka finally managed to open the puzzle box her father left her. She has passed the test. A wave of magic was released when she opened the box. Surprised, Tohsaka noticed how the clock on the desk wound forward an entire hour. "Why was that necessary? Whatever. Let's see what Father left me for this War."

Hopeful she opened the box. What she found in it was, however, very disappointing. On one side, lay the shattered remains of a fossilized snake skin. Next to it lay a simple, but beautiful necklace. A ruby Pendant. Frowning, Tohsaka took the pendant and examined it. She could feel that an enormous amount of magical energy had been stored in it. No doubt it had taken a long time, many generations, to collect this much energy. "This it, father? Guess it has it's uses as a trump card, but still. Something like a catalyst would have been more useful."

She took the pendant and left the workshop. "Only two more Servants. Tomorrow I will summon mine." Tohsaka's eyes were ablaze with determination. "I don't need a catalyst. Tomorrow evening, I will summon Saber, the strongest of the Servants on my own power. Father, I will win the Holy Grail."


	35. Chapter 34

**Authors not: I've recently come across new information from Type-moon about some characters who appear in my story. I would like to ask you, my readers, to take a look at the poll on my profile page and also tell me your opinion about the matter. **

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 34: The summoning

Mordred waited for her mother at the entrance. She had snuck out of Ayako's house earlier to speak with her mother, only to find out that she wasn't here. She looked up as Morgan and her retinue finally returned. The orb of light that Morgan had conjured, revealed that they were clearly tired, approaching exhausted even. Mordred moved towards them and started walking alongside Morgan.

"What happened? Did you run in to father?" Morgan was anxious to know.

"No, my son." Morgan grumbled. "I went to explore the city a bit, when we encountered someone unusual."

"Who?" Mordred asked rather forcefully.

"Lancelot and Guinevere." Mordred's eyes went wide with surprise for a moment. "And they were not alone. We had our first encounter with a Servant and his Master."

"Was the Servant a woman with long, purple hair and wielding a chain with daggers on the ends?" An angry light shone in her eyes, as well as a measure of eagerness.

"Ah, you had encountered a Servant as well." Morgan grinned. "Unfortunately not. It was a male, wearing a blue suit and wielding a red spear. His Master was a young, female Magus in her early twenties."

"She was good, too." Giraud remarked. Mordred looked at him inquisitively. "She fought Agravain with her hands and feet, comple..." He stopped when he noticed Agravain's disgruntle glare.

"Agravain." Mordred warned him. Agravain stoically increased his pace a bit. "Continue Giraud."

"Ay, Sir Mordred. She took him, and us for that matter, completely of guard." Giraud explained vividly as they entered the castle. "She forced him back at first, until the surprise wore off. But even then she landed some vicious blows on Sir Agravain."

"Be careful on how you pick your words, Giraud." Dunstan warned him, with a glance at Agravain's back. "A knight with an injured pride is very dangerous. Even if he is an assassin."

"It was only because I hadn't seen it coming. Since when do Magi fight hand to hand?" Agravain grumbled. Which stood out, since he always kept his emotions in check.

"I know. They are far weaker in this time, so they had to compensate for it in some ways. As I was told." Mordred informed them. "I personally like that kind of Magi better, in contrast to those cowards who keep their distance. Now then, what happened to Lancelot and Guinevere?"

"Seeing as he doesn't know anything about this era, there is a chance that they accompanied that woman and her Servant." Dunstan suggested.

"Probably." Morgan agreed. "I, along with Esdelot, will send out more familiars to survey the city of any unusual activity."

"Mother, I think we should keep an eye out for Rider, the servant I encountered, and her Master." Mordred suggested.

"You think they will be an easier prey?" Morgan began to consider Mordred's suggestion. "Is it because you believe this Rider to be weak? That doesn't sound very useful for our cause."

"Not Rider herself, but her Master perhaps. From what I know, Servants require a Prana supply from their Master to maintain their presence in this world. The amount of Prana their masters are able to supply directly affects their strength in battle." Mordred told what she had learned. "I've seen Rider attack people in order to absorb their life force, which could mean that her Master isn't powerful enough to supply her with the required amount of Prana."

"Which means that for now they are possibly our best bet on acquiring a Servant." Morgan clapped. "Very well. Then until we find a better target, we will focus on Rider."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tohsaka woke up. Drowsy she rose up and stretched herself out. Her hair was sticking out in every direction. After having washed and dressed, she shuffled down stairs and prepared to leave for school. She deactivated the bounded field and opened the door. She almost dropped her bag when she stepped outside. There stood Bazett. That wouldn't have surprised her, if it wasn't for the fact that Lancelot and Guinevere stood next to her. She walked towards them.

"Good day, lady Tohsaka. We meet again. I apologize for this unannounced visit." Lancelot bowed courteously. Tohsaka sighed heavily and looked at Bazett.

"I met them last night. May I suggest that we go inside? I will provide you with all the details." Bazett asked calmly. Tohsaka gave a nod. A few moments later they were sitting at the table in the living room.

"Now. Please tell me the details." Tohsaka cut to the chase. Bazett quickly explained the situation, though she omitted the fact that she was Lancer's master. Not that it mattered. Tohsaka kept the possibility in play. After her explanation, Tohsaka was distraught. "Not only these two, but Morgan and Agravain are here too. Things can't get much worse than this." She looked at Lancelot and Guinevere. "I'm almost afraid to ask. Do you have a place to stay?" She knew they wouldn't return before this was over.

"At the moment we remain lodged at lady McRemitz's current residence, which she currently would prefer to remain secret." Lancelot was courteously as ever.

"I see. Do you want to remain at my house during your stay?" Tohsaka reckoned she might as well suggest it herself. That way, she could keep an eye on them.

Lancelot looked at Guinevere with a raised eyebrow. Guinevere smiled. "I told you my dear. She is just kind of person. We thank you for your hospitality."

"Your welcome." Tohsaka didn't manage to erase the exasperation from her voice entirely. "Look, I still have to attend school and I'm already late. Further more I have some important business to do tonight. Can I ask that you stay at her place until tomorrow evening? That way, I could show you around properly."

"If that is your wish." Lancelot agreed.

"I have no complaints. We are after all uninvited guests. We will try to minimize how much we disrupt your plans." Guinevere conceded. She looked at Bazett.

Bazett simply responded with: "I don't mind."

"Great. Then we will see each other again tomorrow evening." Tohsaka stood up. "Sorry for the abruptness, but I'm running late as it is."

"We understand." Lancelot said as they all stood up. "Until tomorrow."

After they had left Tohsaka rushed towards the school. What was weird however, was the amount of students that she encountered on her way to school. Then it hit her. She had overlooked that the clocks in her house had advanced one hour after she opened her fathers box. She thought briefly about the pendant that was lying in the workshop. She calmed down a bit and resumed her way to school.

Upon arrival she immediately began to search for Arturia. She finally found her talking to Kane, Makidera and Yukika. "And that's how we defeated Vortigern."

"That was intense." Makidera was tense from excitement. "Good thing Gawain was there with his sword."

"Convenient indeed." Kane agreed. "And after that you became the King of Britain." Arturia nodded.

"A great story." Yukika praised her. "Can't wait for the next one."

"That will have to wait." Tohsaka interrupted them.

"Ah. Good morning, Tohsaka-san." Yukika greeted her. "Did something happen?" Tohsaka had urgency written all over her.

"Yes. Something did happen." Tohsaka looked Arturia square in the eye. "Morgan is here."

"What!?" Arturia changed to fight mode. "When did you learn of this, Rin?"

"Just this morning. When Lancelot and Guinevere arrived on my doorstep." She sighed.

"Lancelot and Guinevere are here as well?" Arturia was shocked. She had accounted for Morgan coming here at some point, but not those two. "Where are they now?"

"For the moment they stay at an undisclosed location." Tohsaka brushed her hair. "But I offered them to come in my house. They will come over to my house tomorrow night."

"Are they here to aid us in our fight?" Arturia thought about the possibilities. "Or are there other reasons? No, probably both."

"That would probably be the case. What will you do?"

"I will face them in due time. They probably want to resolve our personal issues." Yes. That would be right. They will try to resolve the issue of their betrayal.

"I figured as much. What about Morgan?" Tohsaka continued. "I guess we'll have to expunge her forcefully."

"Yes. Morgan is very tenacious and won't settle for less than a complete victory." Her sister's hate was that strong after all. "Let us hope she doesn't acquire a Servant."

"That would be a worst case scenario." Tohsaka agreed. "I suspect she will probably try to acquire Assassin, Lancer or Rider. Perhaps caster, if she thinks she can control him or her. Saber and Archer haven't yet been summoned and Beserker is still an unknown."

"You don't think she will try to summon on herself?" Arturia questioned. "That would be more efficient."

"I make this deduction on the assumption that she doesn't know enough to summon one, or lacks the means, though I doubt the later one." Tohsaka clarified.

"Makes sense. I suggest we convene tonight and discuss things in dept together." Arturia proposed.

"The sooner the better." Tohsaka nodded. At that moment the bell rang. "Now... let us not be late for classes."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"You look troubled." Kane remarked during lunch.

"Did something happen?" Yukika had felt something was off when she met Mordred this morning.

"Yeah. My mother is here." Mordred grumbled.

"Morgan le Fay?" Kane posed it more as a statement than a question. "That isn't good."

"Of course not. She will make a move for the Grail as soon as she feels she is ready for it." Mordred leaned back against the wall and looked up at the sky.

"And if she wins, you'll lose any chance of winning it for yourself." Makidera observed.

"She is not the only one who got here. Lancelot and Guinevere are here, too." Mordred continued.

"Really?" Another surprise for Ayako and the others. "Have they joined Arturia and the others?"

"No. I don't think so." Mordred was pretty much certain that they were with that female magus her mother encountered.

"Say, Mo-san." Mordred turned to Yukika. "Does this mean that you will be leaving when this is done?"

"Yes. Regardless of how this ends, I will return home when it's done." Mordred feels sad about that prospect, after all she had experienced here. "But come on. We all knew that I would return eventually."

"Guess you are right." Yukika shared the sentiment. They all did. For all intends and purposes, they had all come to care about each other.

"Mordred." From the sound of Ayako's voice, it was evident that she was going to say something important. "Do you really think, having your wish granted by the Grail, will solve the issue?"

Mordred stared at her for a moment. "Of course it will. It is the only way I can think of." She replied proudly.

"You know, I think you should just talk things over with your 'father', instead of pinning your hopes on this Grail." The trio agreed with her. "I mean, have you ever tried to talk with her? You didn't, did you?"

"When I told her about my identity, she rejected me clearly. " Mordred held on stubbornly.

"But that wasn't a heart to heart conversation. And things have changed since then." Yukika tried to persuade her.

"It is just waste of time. My only hope is to win this War." Mordred replied coldly. She had no desire to continue this conversation.

"And if this plan fails?" Makidera asked. Although everybody knew what the answer would be.

"Then I will tear down Britain." Mordred replied with a stone cold voice. "You guys mean well, but … you don't understand how stubborn my father is about this matter." She stood up and left.

"I wonder which one of you is the most stubborn." Ayako sighed.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Shirou went up the attic of the storehouse. Here they had stored all the equipment they had brought from Camelot. Merlin had put up a barrier to prevent anyone from noticing it. "There it is." Shirou found what he was looking for. The bow he had received in Camelot. He took it and examined it. The bow was truly a work of art. The thought had suddenly dawned on Shirou. He hadn't thought about the bow since returning. But now that the Holy Grail War was beginning, he was beginning to consider how he could help... about how he could fight. He pulled the string. "Let's put this to good use."

"Shirou?" Arturia appeared. "Oh. Here for the bow?" Shirou nodded. "Because of the War?" He nodded again.

"Yes. The faintings... Ayako getting attacked. A lot of people are at risk. We should consider our options. What we can do to prevent innocents getting hurt." Shirou lowered the bow.

"I agree." A smile appeared on her face. "Now that even my sister has appeared, the stakes are even greater. Shirou. Let's give it our all."

"Yeah. That's a promise." Shirou extended his hand. Arturia accepted.

"Huh? Did you injure your hand, Shirou?" Arturia remarked.

"What do you mean?" Shirou looked at his hand. A faint mark, a bruise probably, was visible on the back of his hand. "That's odd. Probably bumped into something." Shirou racked his brain for a moment, but couldn't figure out the cause. "Whatever. Let's return. Dinner is getting cold." Shirou descended the stairs.

"That wouldn't be good." Arturia smiled happily as she looked at Shirou's back.

"There you are Senpai." Sakura had already set the table. "We were waiting for you. Were you in the storehouse again?"

"I was looking for something." Shirou replied.

"I think you should clean it up from time to time. There is so much stuff in there." Sakura remarked. "Uh? What is that on your hand?" She looked at the bruise, very much worried.

"It's just a minor bruise. No need to worry about it." Shirou assured her. Sakura nodded, but for some reason seemed a bit crestfallen.

"Hey, everybody!" Taiga entered, just in time for dinner. "Sorry I'm late. I had some stuff to do for school. How was your day, Bedi-chan?"

"Uneventful, Taiga." Bedivere responded. Sakura gave a chuckle, but still seemed a bit down.

Later that evening, after Sakura and Taiga had returned home, they sat together to discuss their strategy. They were just waiting for one more person. The doorbell rang.

"That must be Tohsaka." Shirou stood and went to open up.

"Are we going to discuss Lancelot and Guinevere as well?" Arturia had told them about their arrival, so Gawain wanted to know how she would deal with them.

"I'm not sure yet." Arturia had pondered about this frequently. Should she confront Lancelot and settle this in combat? If this was Camelot, that might be necessary. But since she was here, should she simply talk things over? To face him as a friend or as a king? That was her dilemma.

Shirou return with Tohsaka. "Good evening. Shall we begin? I have some important things to take care off at home, so I would prefer it if we can forgo any idle chatter." Indeed. She looked a bit in a hurry.

"That was our plan from the beginning, lady Tohsaka." Kay offered her a spot next to him.

"I'm happy to hear that." She sat down. "So, first thing first. Morgan."

"Yes. The fastest way would be to defeat her first." Arturia was sure of this.

"I suggest that we attack them at their hideout." Bedivere put forth. "That way we can minimize the damage to the city."

"Do we know where it is?" Shirou had been wondering about that. "I believe we had yet to find it."

"Until recently. Merlin, you said you found their base of operations, right?" Kay turned to Merlin.

"Yup. I did. There is a powerful boundary field in the forest." Merlin pointed over his shoulder. "It surrounds a substantial area. No doubt their base is somewhere in the center."

"Say. Why did it take so long to find?" Shirou realized. "You've been here for months."

Merlin's grin pleaded guilty. "I was too much fun here. Haha."

Tohsaka grumbled. The others too, were annoyed by him. Though they silently acknowledged that they couldn't really judge him for it. After all, they hadn't really continued the search either.

"Wait? You said the forest, right?" Tohsaka remembered something. Merlin nodded. "Then I know what their base is." Everybody looked at her curiously. "My father had mentioned this a couple of times, as did some parts of his journals. Mordred and Morgan are most likely using the Einzbern Castle that lies there."

"If I recall correctly, the Einzberns are the ones who originally created this Grail." Kay recounted. "What do you know about it?"

"Not much I'm afraid. I know it's quite large and that it is heavily defended with traps and boundary fields." Tohsaka tapped her fingers on the table. "But I do know it's location."

"That's a start. Merlin should be able to disarm the boundary fields and traps." Gawain cupped his chin. "Aside from Mordred and Morgan, we know that Agravain is there and Esdelot as well. We can assume that there will also be a small army... some of them homunculi."

"Most likely." Arturia agreed. "I will face Mordred. Merlin, will you take Morgan?"

"Guess I'll have too. However, it would be helpful for someone to keep Esdelot busy. I don't want to be distracted while fighting her." Merlin would need all his strength to face Morgan. If Esdelot would aid her, his chances of beating her would drop.

"I'll take care of him." Bedivere volunteered. "Pridwen will ward of Esdelot's attacks with ease."

"Excellent. Then I will face Agravain." Gawain smacked the table. Bedivere eyed Gawain with a worried expression, though nobody noticed. "He's got some explaining to do."

"As things are standing, I will probably have to mop up the rest of the bunch." Kay complained. "What about Lancelot and Guinevere? Regardless of what happened, I think Lancelot wouldn't be opposed to help us beat Morgan and Mordred."

"I agree with Kay." Tohsaka took his side. "We should use all means at our disposal to win this thing."

"I object." Gawain banged his fist on the table.

"Why do you object?" Shirou asked. "Is it because..."

"Of course because of that." He turned to Arturia. "If I may, my king. Because of his betrayal, your position has been weakened. If anything, we should apprehend him."

"Talking things over would be a better solution." Shirou objected. "Lancelot is not the enemy."

"Enough. We will deal with Lancelot later." Arturia ended the argument. "I'm confident that we will defeat Morgan with our current strength. For now let us refine our strategy in depth."

Shirou suspected that Arturia had intentionally avoided the issue of Lancelot and Guinevere. And he was right. Arturia was unsure herself on how to deal with them. Shirou made eye contact with Tohsaka.

"About that. Is there anything we can do?" Shirou hoped he could aid them somehow.

"Personally I hoped to leave you two out of this." Arturia declared. "Though there are no guarantees that you two will be safe."

"You're right my king." Bedivere and the others agreed. "I think it would be best for Shirou and Lady Tohsaka to form a team for the duration. Shirou could thin their numbers with his bow, while lady Tohsaka deals with them en masse and provides magical protection. Both of them are capable of close quarter combat, so they will at least be able to fend of the lesser ones." He looked from Tohsaka to Shirou.

"I think that would be doable. But what about the homonculi?" Shirou was unsure about them. "Those are stronger than the regular soldiers and more difficult to deal with."

"He's right." Tohsaka sighed. "Arturia. I think you guys should consider bringing Lancelot into the fold. If only temporarily." Arturia looked at her with her typical expressionless face. "Besides... I can't stay at his side twenty-four seven. I have important things to do." She looked at the clock which still showed nine o'clock.

"Don't worry. We are still going over the strategy. This is just the preliminary analysis." Kay assured her. The next few hours they debated on how to proceed with their attack. On of the things they decided upon was to perform a night attack. Speed and power would be crucial to the attack. Tohsaka still had some issues about remaining with them until Morgan was defeated.

"I understand where you are coming from, but I wont stay here." Tohsaka finally decided.

"Do you think you'll remain safe until then?" Arturia asked. All eyes were on Rin.

"I have a trump card." Tohsaka revealed. Oh, yes. And a powerful one.

"What kind of card?" Kay felt eager to know. "If you would tell us, we could incorporate it in our plans."

"Sorry. But for now I'll be keeping it a secret." She looked at the clock. It now read ten thirty. "Hmmm? We have been talking longer then that."

"I think the batteries are almost dead." Shirou remarked. "I reckon it should be past midnight now."

"Past...midnight!? What!" Tohsaka panicked, startling everybody. "Damn it! We'll have to continue this another time." She rushed out the living room towards the front door.

"Hey, wait!" Kay shouted. "Where are you going?"

"Home. I got something important to do!" Tohsaka put on her shoes.

"What are you..." Shirou couldn't finish the question. They heard the door slam shut. "What was that all about?" Nobody had a clue.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Still... I think it's unwise to leave the mansion." Lancelot had insisted on not leaving the mansion. But Guinevere had won out. "If we encounter Morgan, I can not guarantee your safety."

"I understand, my love. But the city is large and we should take the opportunity to explore a bit." Guinevere was marveling at the city. "Who knows how long we'll be here. Let's try to have a little bit of fun while we're here." She smiled mischievously. "Besides, I know you want to see more of it too." Lancelot smirked.

As they turned around the corner they encountered someone unexpected. "You guys?" It was none other than Mordred, Ayako and the trio. They looked at each other, unsure on what to do. Lancelot and Mordred followed each other's movement, keeping their hands on their sword hilts.

"What are you doing here?" Lancelot demanded an answer.

"That's my question, Mister perfect knight." Mordred shot back.

"Easy now. No need to fight." Ayako jumped in between. "Let's get along, alright?" Lancelot and Mordred eased up a bit, but kept a wary eye on each other. Guinevere gave Ayako a nod of approval when their eyes met.

"Now. Why are you here?" Mordred demanded.

"To fight alongside my king." Lancelot looked at her resolute. "Can I ask what these girls are doing with you?"

"They went out together to have some fun, but lost track of time. I encountered them and decided to stay with them." Mordred replied. Ayako, Guinevere and the trio went to stand together as they watched the conversation.

"To keep them safe from your mother?" Lancelot quipped.

"Among other things. And what about you?" Mordred grinned bestial. "Are you really hear for father? Or are you on a rendezvous with your lover?" Lancelot glared daggers at her.

"Hey! Isn't that Tohsaka?" Makidera pointed towards another Intersection twenty meters away. Everybody turned to look. And just as Makidera said, Tohsaka rushed past in all haste.

"She's in a hurry." Kane stared after her. "Is it just me or did she seem distraught?" She had only caught a glimpse of her in the street light, but that's how it looked like. Tohsaka obviously hadn't noticed them.

"Say. Why don't we follow her?" Makidera suggested.

"Follow her? Why?" Yukika was a bit perplexed.

"Because I want to know what got her so rilled up. It's also more interesting than looking at those two bickering. Mordred shot her a glare, but she didn't notice. "Well. I'm going. Decide what you want to do." And Makidera rushed off after Tohsaka.

"Hey. Maki-chan. Wait." And Yukika followed her. Kane looked at Ayako and Guinevere. She shrugged her shoulders and followed suit.

"Well. We might as well go." Ayako looked at them. Mordred stared at Lancelot, who was equally perplexed by this turn of events. In the end, they all went after Tohsaka.

Tohsaka dropped the boundary field and went inside. Just as she entered she noticed the clock. Five before two in the morning. "Just in time." She rushed to the workshop. "It's a good thing I prepared the circle in advance." Holding onto the pendant, she woore under her blouse, she sighed from relief. Without further ado she began to prepare.

"She returned home?" Makidera sounded disappointed. "Whatever. Let's see what she is up too."

"We shouldn't just barge in like this, Maki-chan." Yukika objected weakly.

"She is right, Makidera." Kane agreed with her. "Besides, we should return home. Our parents are most certainly worried about us."

"Come on just a quick peek." Makidera was running on the spot.

"That will be impossible." Mordred and the others had caught up with them.

"How so Mo-san?" Yukika tilted her head in wonder.

"Magi always protect their lairs with boundary fields to ward off unwelcome guests." Mordred pointed at the house.

Inside, Tohsaka was all set to begin the ritual. "Let's do this." She outstretched her hand, holding the grounded gems.

_Silver and Iron for the Elements. Stone for foundation and the ArchDuke of Contracts. My great Ancestor Schweinorg for the Ancestor. Close the Gates of the Cardinal Directions. Come forth from the Crown. And follow the three-forked road leading to the Kingdom._

The gems dripped out like a liquid. Each time a drop hit the circle it pulsed.

_Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Repeat five times, but when each is filled, destroy it. Anfang_

Tohsaka's body was burning up as the Prana flowed through her body.

"So, we can't go in if Tohsaka-san doesn't allow it?" Yukika confirmed.

"That's right." Mordred had explained a bit about boundary fields. "Unless Tohsaka drops the barrier, we can't..."

"Hey, guys! The door is open." Makidera shouted.

"What!?" Mordred turned around. Makidera had marched up to the door, while she had been busy explaining. "She forgot to close the boundary field again? Sloppy." Mordred put her hand on her forehead. She never had met a magi this careless.

"Shall we go inside?" Guinevere asked. "It's impolite, but I would like to know what is going on?"

"Ah, to hell with it. Let's just go." Mordred grumbled. And so they went inside.

"Tohsaka-san?" Yukika called out, only to be met with silence. "Where could she be?"

_I announce. Thou body shall be under my command, my fate shall be determined by thy sword. Follow the call of the Holy Grail. If thou would obey my will and reason, then answer my call._

The ritual neared it's climax. The circle was shining brightly and winds blew through the room.

_Hereby I swear._

_That I shall be all the virtue in this world._

_That I shall destroy all the evil in this world._

_Thou Seven Heavens clad in the three Great Words of Power._

_Emerge from The circle of binding, Guardian of Balance..._

A bright light filled the room as a wave of energy was released. When the light faded, Tohsaka was on her knees. She looked at her hand and saw the Command Spell. "Yes! That was Perfect. I know I have drawn the best card. Huh?" As she looked around she saw she was all alone? Suddenly, a loud explosion rang through the building. "WHYYY!" She shouted as she ran up the stairs.

They all felt the ripple of energy go through them. "What was that?" Kane was startled, as were the rest of them. "It felt like a jolt of electricity."

"That was a ritual. Tohsaka just performed a ritual." Mordred looked around, hoping to see Rin. "I have felt this sensation before."

Lancelot and Guinevere looked at each other. What kind of ritual had she performed.

"A ritual? Cool. I wanna see it." Makidera chirped. "Whe..." She was cut off by an explosion. "What was that!?"

"It came from the living room." Ayako pointed towards the door. Dust flowed from underneath the door.

"Perhaps her ritual failed." Mordred's face grew tens. "When a ritual fails, the results can be quite gruesome." She clarified when seeing Ayako's worried face.

"WHYYY!?" Tohsaka's voice rang out from the basement. The next moment she stormed out of the basement, only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw them. Everybody looked at her with perplexed expressions. "What are you guys doing here? No, you can tell me later." She rushed forward towards the door and tried to open it. "Damn it. It's stuck." Lancelot moved to help her, but Tohsaka kicked the door hard. She skidded into the room when the door opened.

The room was a complete mess. Most of the furniture was either destroyed or heavily damaged. What caught her eye, however, was the white haired man, clad in red, who was sitting on the rubble. She noticed the clock. " That's right. The clocks im my house were one hour faster today. I messed up again." The man opened his eyes and gave a smug smile.

" What's done is done." Rin regained her composure and stepped towards him. "You are my Servant, right?"

"Is that the first thing you ask? Looks like I've been drawn by quite the unusual little master." He waved his hand. "Good grief. Or am I the one who drew the short straw? Hmmm. Are you my master, then? You weren't present when I arrived."

"You're not a chick who imprints on the first person he sees." Tohsaka shot back. "I merely asked because a master-servant relation must be made clear right of the bat."

"I am in complete agreement with that assessment." The man agreed. "But where is your proof that you are my master?"

"Here. This all the proof you need, right?" Tohsaka showed her Command Spell. Behind her, the others peeked around the door to watch the scene. The man looked at her with wide eyes.

"Hey. That's not what he meant." Mordred called out.

"Oh. Looks like we have spectators." The man commented, as the group entered. When the man saw their faces however, his eyes went wide for a moment. Something that didn't went unnoticed by Mordred and Lancelot.

"Hey. Keep out of this." Tohsaka complained. "And what do you mean with: 'That's not what he meant'?"

"Lady Tohsaka. He is a warrior. And what a warrior wants to know more than anything else about their master, is whether or not they are worthy of their loyalty." Lancelot explained. Mordred nodded in agreement.

"Tohsaka. Ah, yes. Tohsaka Rin." The man whispered silently under his breath. "It's as the man said. I want to know if you are worth of my loyalty." He said as he rose to his feet. "So... Are you worthy?"

"Are you saying that I'm not good enough to be a Master?" Tohsaka felt insulted.

"I'm utterly dissatisfied, but I do acknowledge you as my Master." The man declared. "But only on one condition. In the coming War, I will disregard anything you say. I will decide all battle policy. I trust you have no objections, miss?"

"This guy is a piece of work." Mordred glared at him. "You have some issues with authority."

"And you are...?" The man asked, though Mordred and Lancelot expected the question was more for confirmation.

"Mordred. Mordred Pendragon, son of King Arthur." Mordred puffed her chest. "If you are dissatisfied with her, could I persuade you to join me instead?"

Everybody stared at her in disbelief. Even the man was surprised. "Over my dead body." Tohsaka yelled. "Besides, you aren't even a Magus."

Lancelot laid his hand on Mordred's shoulder, having understood the gist what Mordred just had said. "Don't you think about it." Mordred glared at him.

"So you are Mordred?" The man eyed her from head to toe. "You are a bit out of place. Then these two are...?"

Lancelot and Guinevere looked at him in surprise, for he had asked it in their language. "You speak our language, too?"

"I do. Thanks to the power of the Grail. And your name is...?"

"Sir Lancelot." Lancelot introduced himself. "And this is the Lady Guinevere."

"Nice to meet you, good Sir." Guinevere bowed courteously. "I feel from the conversation just earlier, that you have some issues with your Master. I thought that Servants were bound to obey their Master"

"We are bound to them, but that doesn't mean we have to obey them." The man admitted. "She will be my Master in form alone. During battle I will call my own shots. Rin should just sit in the cellar and wait it out." He repeated that in Japanese.

"This guy is a handful." Ayako gasped. "Oy.. Tohsaka, things are taking a bad direction for you."

"Ai. She's angry." Makidera remarked when they saw Tohsaka trembling, clenching her fists.

"I see... You'll begrudgingly acknowledge me, but won't listen to me." She growled.

"Yes. It would keep even one as inexperience as her alive." The man's smile broadened a bit. "What? Did I make you angry? Don't worry. I'll respect your office, since I was summoned to win victory for my master."

Ayako and the trio looked on in silence, keeping their distance. Lancelot and Guinevere, couldn't understand what he was saying as it was all Japanese, but could get the gist here and there. Mordred was contemplating about if she could use him. But also tried to pin down where she had met him. He had shown a brief sign of recognition earlier, so she might have encountered him in the past. ...or will encounter him somewhere further down the line.

"He seems somehow familiar." Guinevere whispered to Lancelot. He looked at her inquisitively. "I don't know why, but something feels familiar. Hmmm. Tohsaka Rin is going to teach him a lesson, though." A smile saying you-had-it-coming appeared on her lips.

"My victory will be your victory. I will hand over the spoils of war. So you can just sit tight. I don't expect anything from you." He finished smugly. This pushed Rin over the edge.

"Tohsaka-san, are you alright? Tohsaka-san?" Yukika approached her.

"Now, I'm mad!" Rin shouted, causing Yukika to jump back. "If that's how it's going to be. Anfang!" She held up her Command Spell.

"She's really angry now." Makidera hid behind Ayako.

"Told you so." Guinevere shook her head, having sensed it beforehand.

"Wait! You wouldn't..." The man realized his mistake and took a step back.

"I would, you lousy ingrate!" Rin stomped her foot down. Everybody looked on with tension. Mordred especially paid close attention to the Command Spells on Rin's hand. "Vertrag...Ein neuer Nagel... Ein neues Gesetz... Ein neues Gesetz... Ein neues Verbrechen!"

"Stop it! Who would use a Command Spell for something so..." The man tried to stop her.

"Shut up!" Rin cut him off. "You are my Servant! Understood! That means absolute obedience to everything I say!" She held up her arm and a red flash of light appeared on from her Command Spell. The man's body lit up for a moment. One of the Spells faded from her hand, leaving only a faint imprint behind.

"Awa. Tohsaka is really scary when she is angry." Ayako whistled.

"And impulsive!" The man complained, more out of shock than anger. "Who wastes a Command Spell on such broad an order?"

Tohsaka averted her gaze. "Let's talk about this elsewhere. But first..." She turned towards Ayako and the Trio. "I'm sorry, but this is where you leave."

"But Tohsaka..." Ayako tried to object.

"Ayako. You should return home. It's very late and your parents are sure to be worried. That goes for you three, too." Tohsaka's tone implied no argument. "Mordred. You would most likely want to stay, but I would prefer it if you escorted them home." Mordred lifted an eyebrow. "If you want to stay, I'll have you know that my Servant is strong enough to throw you out."

Mordred eyed the man. She had fought Rider before and her ability to scale walls had caught her by surprise. Fighting this guy without knowing his capabilities is risky. Lancelot would most likely pick Tohsaka's side "Only if you tell me which class he is."

"Mo-san?" Ayako felt tense about Mordred's attitude.

"Sorry, Ayako. I'm now in negotiation-mode." She felt Lancelot's glare from behind.

"Archer." The man said. "I'm the Servant Archer."

Mordred tilted her head. "I had not expected you to tell me yourself."

"That's because it won't make a difference." His smug smile reappeared.

"Why you..." Mordred took that as a challenge. "Next time we meet I will put that claim to the test." She walked to the door. "Are you guys coming or what?"

Ayako followed her silently, but worried about what would happen in the near future. Things were going to get really serious soon. The trio followed suit, Yukika and Kane whispering to each other, while Makidera complained on having to leave when things began to become interesting.

"You two may stay."Tohsaka said to Guinevere and Lancelot. "Let's go upstairs. We can continue our talk in a cleaner place." And so they went upstairs. The night wasn't over yet.


	36. Chapter 35

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 35: Betrayal

"That was quite impulsive, Rin." Guinevere sat down on the couch together with Lancelot. "From what I understand, you just wasted a valuable asset."

Rin sat down on the opposite side. "I know." Tohsaka felt embarrassed. She chided herself for allowing her anger to take control.

"That said, I know have a good understanding of your disposition now, Master." Archer said as he examined the room. "Guinevere is right, though. So, just to be sure. You do understand how precious the Command Spells are?"

"Of course I do. What's with his attitude? 'Absolute obedience' my butt." She grumbled under her breath. "They symbolize our power to compel our Servant to perform Sorcery three times."

"Listen carefully. They do allow you to compel a Servant to perform an action three times." Archer pointed at her hand. "For example, I can not teleport far from here. But if you would use a Command Spell that would become possible. A Command Spell is best used to perform a single action. Like deliver the next blow with all your strength. To use it on such a broad an order is basically wasting it. Even a hundred Command Spell wouldn't grant you absolute obedience."

"In other words, she wasted a Spell. Normally." Lancelot deduced from Archer's tone that this not the case here.

"Huh? What are you saying?" Tohsaka stood up.

"I take back what I said. Your skills as a magus are extraordinary. You really are a first class Magus." His smug attitude from before had completely vanished.

"Extraordinary? Really?" Tohsaka felt her hart rate increasing.

"Yes. I miscalculated." Archer admitted. "Your words now carry a powerful compulsion for me." He smiled. "So young in years, but so outstanding. I looked down on you as a child and wanted to keep you away from fighting. That was a mistake."

"So you really acknowledge me as your Master?" Tohsaka felt the happiness swell in her chest. "Even without me using the Command Spells?"

"Yes. And I apologize for looking down on you and my poor manners." Archer laid his hand on his heart and bowed. "Having just being summoned, I wasn't fully acclimated yet. But now we are fully connected. You should feel it too."

He was right. Tohsaka felt the connection clearly as she focused on it. The bond between them from the pact. "Our Pact... Yes. I can feel it."

"Looks like it is a success. Allow us to congratulate you, lady Tohsaka." Lancelot congratulated her. "I feel that that this man will be able to obtain victory for you."

Archer and Tohsaka looked at him. "On what do you base that statement?" Tohsaka posed the question.

"Call it a warrior's intuition." Guinevere gave her a nod. "Ahum. Having said that. We still have to apologize for intruding upon your estate uninvited. I hope you are willing to accept our apology."

"Uhm? Ah... Sure thing. I had already to given you permission to stay here. Even though you're a day earlier." Tohsaka accepted.

"We are grateful." Guinevere bowed gracefully. "May I pose a question?"

"Sure. Go ahead." Tohsaka agreed.

"I have heard a thing or two about magecraft in the past. I wonder... Is a Servant a familiar?" She looked at Archer.

"Well, they are a kind of familiar. They are Heroic Spirits of heroes from ages past." Tohsaka began to clarify. "They are the highest form of familiars and summoning them is basically a miraculous occurrence."

"Which is only possible because of the Holy Grail." Guinevere finished. "Nice to make your acquaintance Archer."

"If you want to see it like that." Archer responded rather rudely, drawing indignant looks from Guinevere and Lancelot. "While we are summoned here by the Grail, we need the Prana supply from our Masters to keep us here. Rin, you are without a doubt a first-rate Master."

"Hmmm." Tohsaka blushed and turned away. Guinevere found that a cute expression. "It's too late to score points through flattery. Ah, boy. I really blew it. I spent all those gems and still didn't manage to get Saber."

"Well sorry for not being saber." Archer grumbled.

"You have high standards, lady Tohsaka." Lancelot chuckled. "But I don't believe you drew a bad card. He looks capable enough."

"I'm the one to blame though. It was all my mistake." Tohsaka contemplated.

"If that is how you see it, Master. I'll make you rue those words." Archer would make sure she does. "When that time comes, you can apologize all you want, but I will not forgive you."

Tohsaka was happy to hear that. Putting her arms in her sides she looked Archer in the eyes. "Well then. Make sure to make me regret them. I'll force you to forgive me." Archer smiled confidently.

Lancelot looked at Guinevere. The two of them understood that a bond of trust had been established.

"Oh, that reminds me. Archer. What is your identity?" The most important for Rin to know, if she was to create a viable strategy.

"I was wondering about that too;" Lancelot was curious. Archer had definitely recognized him and Mordred. And Guinevere probably too. "We have given our name, so it's only polite to give us yours."

"Hey. Wait a minute, Mr Perfect Knight." Tohsaka cut in. Lancelot was taken by surprise by the sudden sharpness of her words. "You won't tell his name to anyone else, I hope. Once a Servant's name is revealed, so too are all his strengths and weaknesses." She shot a glare at Guinevere too. "That goes for you too."

"You're worried that we would tell anyone and hamper your chances for winning?" Lancelot asked rhetorically. "I assure you, lady Tohsaka. You have my word of honor that I will not reveal his identity to anyone. Unless I come to deem him an enemy. Either to me or anyone I care about." He added emphatically. "Luckily, the King's objective is to prevent Mordred and Morgan le Fay from obtaining it and not seize it for herself."

"We are pretty sure about this. Don't worry, dear Tohsaka." Guinevere leaned closer. "We shall not reveal his name."

"It's alright master. These two won't spill the beans." Archer was sure of this.

"Fine. I'll trust you guys on this." She sat down again. "So...What is your name?"

Archer became silent for a moment. Everybody waited full of anticipation. "Unfortunately, I can't give you my name."

Everybody went wide eyed. "Huh!? What do you mean "You can't tell us."?" Tohsaka shouted.

"I don't want to insult you, Master, but this is the result of your imperfect summoning." Archer informed her. "Because of it my memories are completely jumbled. My name and origin are hazy. Luckily these details aren't of any importance."

"Not important?" Guinevere and Lancelot were perturbed by his choice of words. How is that unimportant?

"What do you mean 'not important"? How am I to formulate a strategy if I don't know your capabilities?" Tohsaka felt agitated. "I need to know how powerful you are if I'm to do that. This isn't trivial."

"What are you talking about? I'm the Servant you summoned." Archer looked at her confidently. "I cannot be anything but the most powerful Servant." Tohsaka turned around, blushing. Guinevere suppressed a chuckle.

"Quite the smooth-talker." Lancelot murmured.

"Uhm, well. It doesn't change the fact that nobody knows your identity." Tohsaka decided. "We'll discuss this matter another time."

"Maybe we should get going." Guinevere looked through the window. "It's far into the night and our host might wonder where we've gone."

"That is very likely." Lancelot and Guinevere stood up. "It has been an interesting night, but we will take our leave now."

Tohsaka looked at the clock. It was almost three o'clock in the morning. "I shall see you out."

"O, yeah. Archer." Rin stopped in the middle of the stairs, near a closet. Guinevere and Lancelot looked back from the bottom of the stairs. "I have a job for you."

"Oh? Getting started already, Master? Very well. What do you..." He caught a broom and dustpan, which Rin had procured from the closet.

"Archer. Please clean up the mess in the living room." Tohsaka's serious face made it all the more comical.

"Hold on. What do you think Servants are?" Archer protested.

"Familiars of course. Ones that can talk back and be unruly, but still familiars." Rin grinned.

"Understood. And you can go to hell, Master." Archer grumbled.

"You are one of a kind, Tohsaka Rin." Guinevere commented. Tohsaka wondered if it was a complement or a joke. "You're in for quite the ride, Ser Archer."

"No need to call me Ser. I am not a knight." Archer responded.

"At first glance I would say that you do seem to have the right qualities to be one." Lancelot looked at him from head to toe. "Even if your not knighted, one can still have the chivalry of a knight."

"Chivalry?" Archer's tone suddenly sounded more mocking. "Sorry. But I consider chivalry to be a burden during battle." Lancelot's expression darkened. "Following chivalry only limits your options during combat. I aim to achieve victory by any means necessary."

"You would achieve victory through dishonorable means?" Lancelot became more hostile. "Does honor mean nothing to you then?"

"Chivalry is overrated. One can wash away dishonor with success." Archer shot back. "That said. Whether or not I fight honorable or not, is none of your concern."

"Lancelot..." Guinevere laid her hand on his shoulder to stop him. Lancelot was anger built up rapidly. Enough for Guinevere to worry that he might seriously consider fighting Archer.

"Hey, hey. Break it up." Rin intervened. "Don't you two dare to start a fight. Archer, show some consideration for Lancelot. And Lancelot. I understand that you have misgivings about what he just said, but that is no reason to get into a fight."

"As you wish." Archer conceded. Thought he kept glaring at Lancelot. The next moment he jumped over to the railing to the ground floor and walked off to the living room. Before disappeared into the room, he added: "I don't feel like talking to him anyhow."

Lancelot shot a last glare in the direction Archer disappeared to, before apologizing to Tohsaka. "I'm sorry for my behavior. It was unkempt."

"It's fine." Tohsaka forgave him. "I was rather surprised at how the mood between you two soured so quickly."

"It would seem that he isn't the kind of person I initially took him for." Lancelot felt disappointed. "With this I will bid you good night, milady Tohsaka. Until tomorrow."

"Have a good night, dear." Guinevere and Lancelot bowed courteously and left the house.

"Are you alright, my dear?" Guinevere asked as they strolled through the streets. "It's surprisingly rare for you to get so agitated like that."

"I'm surprised myself." Lancelot admitted. "The man treated chivalry like a joke. It is not the first time someone mocked the virtues of chivalry in my presence, but for some reason it felt more insulting,... Insulting is not the right word. Archer uttering those words just felt wrong, because it was him."

Guinevere looked at him wondering. "What do you mean?"

"When we first saw each other, that man recognized us. I'm certain that we have met before, but I just can't place it." It vexed him. Where did he met him?

"Calm now. I'm certain you'll find the answer in due time." Guinevere assured him with a smile. "I'm certain of it." Lancelot smiled back and the two continued their way.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Bazett looked outside the window. Upon her return to the mansion, she found the couple to be gone. It's not that she worried about them that much, but she ordered Lancer to look for them. She would wait here, should they return. Her eye caught movement. A single man walked up to the house. For a moment the moonlight illuminated his face. Her heart jumped when she recognized him. Kotominei Kirei. She had worked with him before. During that time she had developed some feelings for him. She hurried downstairs to let him in.

"Good morning, Bazett." Kirei greeted her when she opened the door.

"Kotomine. What are you doing here?" Bazett asked, though she couldn't completely mask her excitement. "I don't think it's good that the referee of the Holy Grail War comes to pay a personal visit to one of the participants."

"Perhaps. I just wanted to greet a fellow colleague. For old times sake." Kotomine knew Bazett had feelings for him and planned to use those to the fullest. "It won't take long."

"If you say so." Bazett led him towards the dining room.

"How is the War going?" Kotomine engaged in idle chatter.

"So far I haven't fought anyone yet. That is to say, not any of the other contestants." Bazett looked over her shoulder at him for a moment. "I encountered Morgan le Fay."

"Morgan le Fay?" Kotomine mused. "That is most troublesome."

"Agravain and a couple of tugs accompanied her. Fortunately, I was assisted by Lancelot." She continued.

"Seriously?" Of course he knew that already.

She stopped at the door to the dining room. "I will explain later. Why don't we first have a talk about the old days?" She smiled as she laid her left hand on the doorknob.

Suddenly the loud ringing of metal against metal resounded through the hall. Bazett turned around, completely startled. There stood Lancelot, his sword drawn standing between her and Kotomine. She could hear Guinevere approaching her from behind. "Lancelot!? What are you doing? Kotomine, what is..." She looked shocked at Kotomine. He held a Black Key in his hand. It's edge was bloody. A familiar, stinging feeling reached her, along with the feeling of something moist traveling past her left arm. Looking at her left arm, she saw the deep cut on her upper arm. It as if time froze. Kotomine had effectively tried to cut off her left arm. The arm which held the Command Spells. "Why?"

"I have my reasons." Kotomine replied calmly. "Don't look at me that way. You may felt something towards me, but that feeling was certainly not mutual." His eyes bored into Lancelot's. "How unfortunate. I should have struck sooner. What is it going to be, Lancelot?"

Lancelot lunged at him. In an instant Kirei had his hands full of Black Keys. It took him a lot of effort to redirect Lancelot's thrust. Lancelot quickly followed up his lunging attack with a series of swift strikes. Kirei managed to avoid them by the skin of his teeth. Lancelot felt impressed. Kirei countered by throwing a handful of Keys at him. Lancelot deftly knocked them out of the air. Kirei used this close the gap and aimed at his chest. Lancelot countered in a flash. Kirei had to use all his might to avoid the counterattack. Twisting his body, he also threw another Key at him. Lancelot was forced to evade. The Key clipped a piece of his hair. After this exchange they took some distance from each other.

"You're good." Lancelot was impressed. This era does seem to have it's own skillful warriors. "Though, I do think that I have the upper hand." He looked at Kirei's side. In the last exchange, Arondight had cut his flesh.

"Hmm. I will retreat here. We will meet again." Kirei turned and ran towards end of the hall.

"I won't let you get away." Lancelot went in pursuit. Expecting this, Kirei threw some Black Key's at him. No, not him, Lancelot realized. "He was aiming for something else. Lancelot moved sideways in order to block them. Which he did successfully. He looked behind him. Kirei had aimed for Guinevere who was know busy treating Bazett, who was still shocked by this development. She had trusted Kirei. Lancelot heard Kirei crash through the window at the end of the hall. He had gotten away. Lancelot grumbled and sheathed his sword. There will be other opportunities to settle this.

The next moment, they sat at the table in the dining room. "Thank you Guinevere." Bazett clenched her arm. She had recovered from the initial shock. "You're quite good at this."

"It is one of the few things I'm good at." Guinevere couldn't help but puff a bit with pride. "How are you holding up?"

"Better now."

"Did you know him well?" Lancelot asked.

"I had worked with him on a several occasions when he was still an executor of the Church." Bazett explained. "I came to trust him and I felt elated when he invited me to participate in the Holy Grail War. I saw him as a friend." She bit her lip.

"Unfortunately it seems that the feeling is not mutual." Lancelot sighed. "But these things do happen. Personally I think that you are too good a woman for such a man." This made Bazett blush a little.

Lancer returned. "Hey, hey. You two. I've been looking all over for you, only to find that you've already returned." Guinevere and Lancelot looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Well whatever. It was expected."

"Lancer. You're back." Bazett noted.

"Ah, Master. It looks like... Hey? What happened?" He noticed the injury on her arm. "Who attacked you?" Lancer's anger flared up.

"It was the priest from the Church, the Overseer." Bazett looked at her arm again. "He tried to cut off my arm to acquire my Command Spells."

"That guy? Never felt good about him." Lancer examined her arm. "It's surprising, though. He must be pretty good to land a hit on you." Bazett averted her eyes.

"He attacked her from behind." Lancelot had read the conversation right. Lancer looked at him. "Lady Bazett trusted him, I could tell. Otherwise she wouldn't have let her guard down."

"So, it was a sneak attack. That bastard. How are you holding up, Master?"

"I'm fine." Bazett stood up. "But now I would like to get some sleep."

"No, you're not." He walked up to her.

"Hey, what are you...?" He suddenly picked her up. "Hey? Lancer! What are you doing?" Her face was bright red.

"Don't worry. I'll just bring you to your bed." He felt like teasing her. "Let's go, Master." And he walked of with Bazett in his arms.

"I can walk by myself. Just... Just put me down." She protested. Lancer ignored her complains and carried on, all the while smirking rudely.

"She likes him." Guinevere spoke as if she was discussing the weather.

"Yep. She likes him." Lancelot agreed.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Gilgamesh was laying on the sofa, enjoying a glass of wine when Kirei stumbled in. "Oh, Kotomine. Things didn't work out as planned, I see."

"I nearly had her. Unfortunately, Lancelot intervened." Kirei admitted. He took off his coat and shirt. He found the wound to be deep, but not fatal. He sat down and began using his spiritual healing. His fingers disappeared into his flesh around the wound. Focusing his energy on the wound it slowly began to close.

"I don't believe I have told you this before, but you are quite skilled at spiritual healing. A person who enjoys the suffering of others, possesses a gift for healing." Gilgamesh had to laugh. "How ironic."

"Very much so." Kirei grimaced as he finished up healing himself. He pulled his hand back out, sweat dripping from his face. "Anyway, I failed to acquire her Command Spells. I won't be getting close to her like that again."

"Most certainly. But tell me... Is she really that formidable?" Gigamesh felt curious enough to ask.

"In terms of pure power she has me beat. We had worked together on many occasions when I was still an executor. During this time, she came to trust me. This allowed me to take her by surprise. If I was younger, I would be able to beat her, but now..." Kirei smiled aloof.

"Interesting. What will you do now?" Gilgamesh rose to an upright postion. "Will you try to seize one from the other Masters?" It was a rhetorical question of course.

"No. If I do that I will have to get past their Servants first. Besides that, there is the fact that Tohsaka is acquainted with Arthur and her knights. Concerning Rider's Master there is still Zouken as well. I don't know who Assassin's Master is and Caster has build herself a stronghold in the Temple. Or would you like to fight someone? Lancelot, maybe?" He was referring to the fourth War.

"No. Back then he was summoned as a Servant and enhanced because he was summoned as Beserker." Gilgamesh let the wine swirl in his glass. "As a human he will not be able to provide me any amusement."

"Naturally." Kirei smirked. "For now I will lay low and try to decide what I will do next. Though after tonight, there I might come an occasion that I will need your assistance."

"Of course, I will aid you. It would be boring if the game master would die before it was over." Gilgamesh agreed. Both men laughed.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Shirou woke up in the shed as usual. After stretching, he looked at his hand. The bruise was still there. He shrugged and went inside to prepare breakfast. Entering the living room, he found Bedivere, to his surprise, standing in the kitchen, slicing up vegetables.

"Good morning, Shirou." Bedivere greeted him. He explained upon seeing his puzzled face. "I rarely cook anything, even during my travels. And more times that not, it was just a piece of roasted meat or a simple soup. Since coming here, I've cooked a couple of times, but nothing really noteworthy."

"What brought that about?" Shirou wondered.

"It's because of the War has started." Bedivere sighed. "Our stay here is coming to a close, so I would still like to try some things while we're still here."

"Understandable. How are you going to explain things to Fuji-nee?" Shirou had been a little worried about that. It is obvious that they have grown close to each other.

"I'm not sure. I'm a bit... nervous about that myself." Bedivere admitted. But he didn't regret his time with her. Not in the least.

"Good morning." Arturia walsed in. "Bedivere? Are you cooking?" She had to blink a few times when she saw him standing there.

"Indeed I do." He chuckled upon seeing her expression. "Though, I might require a little help from Shirou." As he was wondering on what ingredients he should use.

"OK. I'll help." Shirou put on his apron and stepped inside the kitchen. Considering what Bedivere just told him about his cooking skills, Shirou thought his cooking to be fairly good. Nobody had to say anything bad about it during breakfast. They all very much enjoyed it. Shirou wondered how much longer this feeling of relative peace would last.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Shirou and Arturia arrived at school. As so often they were greeted by the presence of the ever diligent Issei-san. Arturia was the first to speak. "Good morning, Issei. How are you today?"

"Very well. Thank you for asking, Arturia-san." He responded with his usual politeness.

"Very well, until Tohsaka arrives." Shirou remarked. "Your mood always plummets when she arrives."

Issei raised an eyebrow. "True. But not today. I don't think you've heard it, but Tohsaka won't be coming today. She called in sick a short while a ago. I heard it from Kuzuki-sensei."

"Tohsaka is sick?" Shirou was surprised. "That's unusual. I don't recall her ever being sick."

"It surprised me, too. But there is a first time for everything." Issei looked down the street, as if half-expecting Tohsaka to still show up.

"We all get sick from time to time, Issei." Arturia recollected the time she once was sick and Kay was watching over her.

"You're brother is a good man and a good brother." Issei adjusted his glasses. "He is also a good accountant. I'm thinking of visiting him again sometime for some more advice."

"I'll be sure to pass that on." Arturia promised. "See you later, Issei." And she walked off.

"I'll be off, too. Catch you later."

"Sure. Oh, and Shirou. When we have some time, I would like to talk to you about some broken equipment, as usual." Issei told him, before Shirou walked off.

"I understand. See you later." And he rushed off.

When it was lunch break, Shirou and Arturia were sitting together enjoying their meal. "Should we pay her a visit?" Arturia had pretty much made up her mind about it, but she was curious what Shirou would go.

"If she remains sick longer then two days, maybe. But I think she'll be back tomorrow." Shirou's interaction with her had risen notably since Arturia came here. But not to the point that Shirou considered her to be a friend. Although, she did wanted to teach him Magecraft. Maybe he should pay her a visit. "I think I'll visit her tomorrow if she hasn't come to school then. I don't think I could make it tonight. I still have some stuff to do here."

"About that, Shirou. Please make sure that you return before dark." Arturia looked him straight in the eye. "I mean it. With the War accelerating and Morgan around, it would be very dangerous to venture out after dark."

"She is right, Emiya." Ayako showed up. "Things are getting hot out there."

"Mitsuzuri?" Shirou looked at her. "Is Mordred not with you?"

"Not today. She wanted to eat alone for a change." Ayako sat down in front of him. "Tohsaka isn't here today."

"I know. It's because she is sick." Emiya informed her. Or thought he did.

"No. That's not the reason." Ayako sighed.

"What do you mean?" Arturia felt something was up.

"Tohsaka summoned a Servant last night." Ayako sighed heavily. "Mordred said that magic rituals can take up a lot of energy. She thinks that's the real reason for her absence."

"How do you know she summoned a Servant?" Shirou leaned in closer.

"Because we were there." She slurped up some of her noodles. "Last night, we were walking home. We being Mordred, me and the trio. We went to see a movie, after which we decided to have a drink before going home. We had lost track of time afterwards." She looked at Arturia. "You might want to brace yourself, Arturia. During our walk home, we ran into Lancelot and Guinevere."

"Is that so?" Arturia wasn't really surprised. This surprised Ayako though. "Tohsaka had told me yesterday." She quickly explained.

"Oh. Well, I don't know where they are now, but I last saw them at Tohsaka's house." She continued. "During our encountered, Makidera noticed Tohsaka running home. And followed her. Tohsaka had forgotten to close the door behind her and so we entered her house. The summoning was rather abrupt, as the guy arrived with a bang, ruining Tohsaka's living room."

"That sounds like Tohsaka. So now we know why she left in such a hurry." Shirou remembered how quickly Tohsaka left.

"She was at your home? Can I ask why?"

"Yeah. We were discussing how we would deal with Morgan." Shirou divulged. "After that she rushed off to summon a Servant."

"About that. Do you know which Servant she summoned?" Arturia finished her meal as she asked that.

"Before we left, he revealed his class to be Archer." Arturia and Shirou looked at each other. "Perhaps I shouldn't have told you that last part." Ayako chided herself mentally.

"Don't worry, we won't tell anyone" Arturia assured her. Ayako smiled relieved. She thanked them before moving on.

The rest of the day went by unremarkable. Shirou was busy repairing a projector, when Arturia entered. "I'm returning home, Shirou. Please don't take to long."

"I promise. I don't think it will take much longer, though." Shirou reassured her.

"Ok. Later then." Arturia felt anxious. She knew how Shirou could get absorbed by his work and lose track of time. Despite this, she returned home.

Not five minutes later, Shinji entered the room. Along with a group of girls. "I thought it was you when I caught you in the corner of my eye. Still here Shirou?" He spoke in his usual smug tone. "So like you."

"Shinji? I'm glad that I could still see you. There is something I would like to ask you." Shinji lifted an eyebrow. "It's about Sakura."

"What about her?" Shinji became a bit more hostile.

"Whenever I see her I get the impression that she is rather depressed as of late. Did something happen at your home?" Shirou didn't know what was wrong with her, but he was determined to resolve it. "You didn't do anything to her, did you?"

"Are you accusing me of hurting her? You know, you really shouldn't interfere in other people's private affairs, Shirou." Shinji got more angry. Shirou flared at him. "Or did she tell you that I hurt her?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Shirou had to admit.

"You really shouldn't make such reckless accusations." Shinji pointed out.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Shirou apologized.

"Since you obviously feel bad about it, could you do me favor for compensation?" Shinji had this idea for when he ran into Shirou in the first place. "The dojo is a bit messy, so could you clean it up for me?"

"Senpai. Fujimura-sensei asked you to do that." One of the girls reminded him.

"Ah, I know. But if I do that, the shop will be closed before I'm done." Shinji didn't really care about it that much, he just didn't want the clean the dojo. "So, Shirou. Can I count on you?"

"Very well. I'll do it." Shirou agreed to it. Arturia would most likely scold him for it. And so he ended up cleaning the dojo.

Time flew by and it was night when he finished. Shirou checked his watch. It read 10:12 p.m. "It took that long." He took his stuff and prepared to leave. He stopped when he heard a metallic sound reverberating through the air. It came from the other side of the school. Shirou rushed around the school towards the source of the sound. The moment he ran around the corner, he encountered someone unexpected. Agravain.

"What are you doing here?" Shirou tensed up. He could still hear sound of fighting, but right now he felt Agravain a more pressing issue. What was he up to? Agravain, suddenly ran towards the side door of the school and rammed through it. "Wait!" Shirou followed him.

Agravain disappeared towards the first floor. Shirou rushed up the stairs, but Agravain had vanished from sight. Shirou cautiously walked through the hall. His guts told him, Agravain was still here. And his gut was correct. Agravain suddenly was behind him, his sword going straight for Shirou's neck. Shirou managed to dodge at the last moment. Where had Agravain hid himself?

"Well done." Agravain's calm voice felt out of place in this, to Shirou, precarious situation. "You dying would be a serious blow to the King."

"It won't be so easy. Trace ON!" Shirou projected a sword and shield.

"That won't help you." Agravain attacked viciously. Shirou managed to block some of his attacks, but he knew he was in over his head. "Your skills have improved. But not enough. Farewell." Shirou prepared for Agravain's onslaught and raised his shield.

Judging from Agravain's pose, Shirou expected an attack on his torso. He couldn't have been more wrong. Suddenly, Agravain ducked and slided past him, kicking him behind the knees, sending him down to the ground. As Shirou fell to his knees, Agravain got back upright behind him, in a fluid motion. And then his sword sliced through his side, upwards to his heart. "Farewell, Shirou." Agravain's cruel voice was the last thing he heard as darkness overcame him.


	37. Chapter 36

**Happy New Year. Ah, writing went slow this month, so I decided to post it on New year's day. Thanks for your continues support. Hope you can keep enjoying it.**

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**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 36: The last one

Shirou slowly opened his eyes. His body felt a bit numb, but he slowly managed to push himself up to a sitting position. As his vision focused, he looked down at his body. Upon seeing the clear cut in his clothes, the vivid image of Agravain's face flashed before him. His clothes, soaked in his blood. "How am I still alive?" No matter how he looked at it, this wound had been far more severe than any other he had incurred up until now. When he moved his hand in order to stand up, he felt something lying on the ground. He picked up ruby pendant and inspected it. He took it and looked at it. "Who left this?" With a grunt he stood up. "Somebody saved me. I'll have to return this when I find out who it belongs to." He looked at his bloody clothes again. "Arturia is going to yell at me. I better get home quickly."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tohsaka strolled leisurely along the sidewallks through the city. The regular bystander would think she was alone. If one would not count the Servant following her in his spirit form. "Excuse me, Master. What is the point of our trip through the city?"

"To give you a better perspective of the city and it's layout." Tohsaka answered. "Going to every place in person gives you a better idea of it."

"That is not quite true. If we go to the top of one of the skyscrapers I can get a good view of the surrounding area and it's layout." Archer responded. "My class isn't 'Archer' for nothing. I can easily make out the name of that printed on that billboard on the other side of the river." He pointed towards Shinto.

"Amazing. The Archer class is really made out of Archers." Tohsaka commented.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course not." Tohsaka assured him.

"I'll take your word for it. That said. Shouldn't we be getting back? Lancelot and Guinevere might be waiting at your front door right now." What Archer had said could very much be the case. It was late into the evening.

"I know." Tohsaka looked at the night sky. "We'll continue our trip tomorrow. However, I will make a quick stop at the school, since we're close by anyway." Archer sighed.

They soon arrived at the school. "I think it's rather calming when it's this quiet." Tohsaka looked around as she walked across the yard. She suddenly turned around. There stood Lancelot and Guinevere. "What are you two doing here?"

"You were not at home. And after we got tired of waiting, we decided to take a walk." Lancelot explained. "Are you by yourself?"

"Of course she isn't." Another voice rang out. On top of the wall stood Lancer. "Isn't that right, Mister?"

Archer materialized. "Servant Lancer, I take it?" He asked rhetorically.

"Indeed." Lancer jumped down, landing several meters in front of Archer. "So you're host is also a Master." He glanced at Lancelot and Guinevere

"We didn't reveal the truth about your Master either." Guinevere reminded him.

"I know. I'm not accusing you two of anything." Lancer put her at ease. "It's not your business after all. Now then." He directed his attention to Archer. "Who is my opponent? You don't strike me as the proper, single combat type? I'm guessing you're Archer." Archer merely looked at him silently.

"I'm confident in my guess. Come on Archer. Take out your bow." Archer remained silent.

Lancelot and Guinevere took some distance from the two combatants. When they were a safe distance away, Guinevere couldn't help but grab Lancelot's hand and squeeze. Though she understood Tohsaka's situation in all of this, she liked Tohsaka and wouldn't want to see anything bad happen to her. She wanted to know what Lancelot thought about the odds and possibilities of this fight. Lancelot could not answer. From Lancer's fight with Morgan, he had glimpsed Lancer's combat potential. He knew that at this range a bow would be useless against him. Then again... Archer might have something up his sleeve.

"Archer! You won't get any support from me." Tohsaka informed him. "Right here and now, show me what you got." Archer smiled.

Lancer readied his spear. "Very well then. Here I come." And he went straight for Archer. As the spear swung towards Archer, Archer moved his arms as if to catch the spear. But then a curved, black sword appeared in his left hand. It redirected the blow. Surprised, but not hesitating, Lancer began a series of attacks, which Archer either skillfully blocked or redirected.

"Archer is very good." Lancelot explained to Guinevere. Even though he could barely make out what was happening, his extensive experience told him what he needed to know. "His technique is pure. I think that lady Tohsaka truly has drawn the best card for herself. Archer leaves an opening to guide his opponent and blocks the subsequent attack. It's risky but effective."

"But he's an Archer. I thought Servants fight using a method that befits their class." Guinevere pointed out. She was right. Lancelot too, wondered about that.

Lancer striked again. And this time he managed to destroy Archer's sword. "You're mine." Lancer grin was predatory.

"Archer!" Rin shouted. For a moment she could clearly see the end for her Servant and her participation in the War. But Archer had other plans. He whispered and suddenly two blades appeared in his hands to deflect what should have been a killing blow. Everybody was surprised. But Lancelot however, began to suspect something. The way Archer procured his new swords, felt familiar to him.

"Your Archer is quite amazing!" Guinevere yelled at Tohsaka over the sound of the battle.

"He most certainly is." Somebody else responded in Rin's place. Bazett had arrived. "Tohsaka Rin. So, you did become a Master. Not unexpected." Her eyes spoke volumes. "It will soon be over."

Bazett rushed towards her. Tohsaka managed to dodge Bazett punch in the nick of time by reinforcing her legs. Bazett's empowered fist struck the ground, shattering the soil into a neat crater. Tohsaka fired a barrage of Gandr shots at her. Bazett dodged them easily and began to close the distance again.

Archer knew from the outset that Bazett would surely beat Rin without much effort. Lancer blocked him at every turn. "I won't let you." Lancer assured him as he destroyed Archer's twentieth blade. "Just how many of those do you have left?" Lancer felt annoyed by Archer's seemingly endless supply.

"More than enough." Suddenly Archer jumped back and threw both his swords at Lancer. Lancer ducked and began to close the gap again. Archer already had two new swords at the ready. Suddenly, Lancer had realized that Archer hadn't been aiming for him.

Bazett felt the impending danger. She jumped backwards to avoid the first blade, giving Tohsaka the chance to get some distance. Unfortunately, this placed her in the path of the second blade. Lancer deflected it in the nick of time. As he did with the other two Archer had thrown after him. "That was low." Lancer growled at Archer, who had secured Rin and widened the gap.

"I had to protect my Master." Archer justified.

"Tsst. Which land's Heroic Spirit are you? Your class is Archer, but I've never heard of an Archer using dual swords. Who are you?" Lancer pointed at Archer with his spear.

"Oh? This wait-and-see approach isn't like you. Where did all your spirit go?" Archer tried to provoke him.

"Provoking me, are you? You sly old man. Just answer the question." Lancer demanded.

"I have no obligation to answer you." Archer reminded him. "You'll have to discover my identity yourself. Unfortunately , your identity is easy to identify." Archer grinned. "Only the swiftest heroes are chosen to be spearmen and you stand head-and-shoulders above them. There are not even three spearmen of your skill in the World. And then there is that bestial agility. That leaves only one candidate. Ireland's Child of Light, Cú Chulainn."

Lancer's killing intent spiked. "You flatter me, Archer. Guess being too famous has its disadvantages." He took two steps forward and readied his spear and began to channel a huge amount of prana through it. "Then, will you face my mightiest blow?"

"I won't stop you. You're an enemy that I must overcome eventually." Archer prepared himself to face the blow. The atmosphere was heavy. Everybody could feel that Archer was at a disadvantage here.

Suddenly the loud bang of a door opening traveled through the air, followed by a voice yelling: "Wait!""

Everybody turned towards the direction of the sound. "There are still people here?" Bazett reacted. "There can't be any witnesses. Lancer!" Lancer returned to his Master's side.

"What are you going to do?" Tohsaka had a bad feeling. "You're not going to..."

"Why are you so surprised? We can't have anyone witnessing this." Bazett prepared to persue.

"Let me do that!" Bazett regarded her. Tohsaka didn't know this woman enough to know what she would do and Rin wouldn't want to see one of her fellow student killed. "It may have been a student, so please..."

"Please let her, lady Bazett." Guinevere came to Rin's aid. Lancer translated what she said. "I believe this is enough fighting for one evening. And besides, we did keep your secret." Guinevere referring to her and Lancelot staying silent about Bazett being a Master.

"So, you're asking for a favor," Lancer chuckled and looked at Bazett. She gave a nod. "Very well. Just this once. You can pursue those two."

"Two?" Tohsaka asked confused.

"There were two persons who saw us." Archer clarified. "I could see someone dressed in armor fleeing into the building followed by someone of smaller stature."

"That's bad. After them Archer!" Archer quickly dematerialized.

"Tohsaka Rin." Bazett spoke. Rin looked at her. "You won't get a pass next time we meet." Rin nodded, grateful for the bullet she just dodged and went after Archer.

"Thank you, Bazett, for your kindness." Guinevere bowed. "I owe you two."

"It's alright, Guinevere. With this I don't owe you anything anymore. Until the next time we meet." She turned around and left with Lancer, who made a see-you-around smile.

"She is a very interesting person, don't you think?" Lancelot looked on with Guinevere as Bazett disappeared.

"Now don't you dare." Guinevere teased him. Bringing a grin to Lancelot's face. "But yes, she is. And kind of lonely too." She ended with a sigh.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

After waking up, Shirou made his way home. Looking at the pendant, he wondered who had saved him. And about Agravain, who tried to kill him. He walked through the streets, making his way home. If anyone would see him like him this, they would freak out. He shook his head at the thought.

"Shirou!" Shirou looked up to see Arturia and Kay. "There you are. I told you not to stay out so late. What happened!?" Upon getting a better view of Shirou's state, Arturia rushed up to him and grabbed his torn, blood stained clothes. "You were attacked. By whom?"

Shirou averted his gaze, avoiding Arturia's glare. "Agravain." He said.

"He attacked you? Where?"

"I encountered him at school. There was a fight there. I don't know who was fighting, but Agravain had been observing the fight when I ran into him. When he ran I followed him into the building, where he... well." He held up his torn clothes.

"However, it seems that your healing magic has saved you once again." Kay reasoned that that was the case. "Odd, though. Agravain is never this sloppy."

"No, he most certainly killed me." Shirou said, surprising them both. "My healing was not as powerful for some reason. But it seems that someone has saved me. Although, I don't know who, as I had lost consciousness before then."

"And you don't have any leads?" Kay inquired. Shirou took the pendant out of his pocket. "So we do have a lead."

"Anyway, let's return home." Arturia looked at an owl sitting on a nearby streetlight. "Merlin. Inform the others that we have found Shirou and are returning home." The owl hooted once and left. "Let's go."

Not long after that they arrived. "Truly, Shirou. You shouldn't have let Shinji talk you into it." Arturia scolded him, as she removed her shoes. Shirou had just told them the reason why had still been at school. "You should be a bit more selfish."

_Looks who's talking_, Shirou thought. For all the time that she has been here, she had pretty much remained the same. True, she had attended school, made friends and enjoyed quite a few things, but once she would return home, she will guaranteed revert back to being the king she always had been. Shirou noticed Kay looking at him. He knew that Kay had thought the same.

Gawain and Bedivere soon arrived. After expressing their concern they went to the living room and discuss what had happened. "We should not postpone it any longer." Arturia had decided. "We will drive Morgan back before the end of next week."

"Agreed." Gawain said. "We've been here too long already."

"We all knew this day would come." Bedivere sighed. "I will sure miss this place."

"This place? Or Taiga?" Merlin quipped. Bedivere blushed.

"Does anyone know where Shirou went?" Kay asked.

"I believe he went to the storehouse to practice." Bedivere pointed in the direction. "He is probably reflecting on what happened to him."

Inside the storehouse Shirou was busy projecting weapons. His skills are improving little by little. His projections lasted longer and are more durable than in the beginning. In his head he still wondered who had saved him. Outside of his field of vision, the floor began to light up. It was a magic circle. "That fight that went on in the school grounds was most likely two Servants fighting each other. Agravain was spying on it when I ran into him."

He placed his hand on his heart. He had gotten closer to death then ever before. Thinking about his brush with death, he could feel a powerful resolve growing inside him. "Whatever is going to happen, I can't die. My life was spared, so I can't die. I have to fulfill my obligations. Yes. I can't just die for no good reason." It was then that he noticed the bruise on his hand lighting up as a red glowing symbol appeared on his hand. Before Shirou had realized what was happening, a powerful wave of energy blew through the store house, blowing a myriad of items aside and lighting up the place. He reflexively covered his eyes. "What is going on?" When Shirou opened his eyes, he was met with a perplexing sight.

"Servant Saber. I've come in accordance with your summons. I ask thou...Are you my Master?" The blond haired girl asked.

"Arturia?" Shirou muttered.

She reacted displeased to her name. "I take that as a yes. Master... I ask you that you refer to me by my class." For some reason, however she didn't recognize him. "My Sword shall be at your side henceforth. Your fate shall be my fate. The pact is now sealed, Ma..." Suddenly she winced for a moment, as she felt a vivid image went through her head. "...s...ter... Shirou?"

The sound of footsteps could be heard and Arturia and the others entered the storehouse. They both turned to look at the door. "Shirou? Is everything alright? Merlin felt a surge of magic in this place. Did some...thing..." Arturia fell silent as she stared at ...well...herself. Saber too, looked at her incredulously. "Who...? What are you?" Merlin and the other knights were equally perplexed.

"Merlin?... Gawain? Kay? Bedivere?" Saber stammered. "How? What is happening?"

"Shirou? What happened?" Merlin grabbed him. Though he seemed more excited than concerned.

"I don't know. But I think I somehow summoned her as a Servant for some reason." Shirou looked at Saber. Saber reacted shocked by that statement.

"You didn't summon me on purpose?" She asked. "Are you saying that you summoned me by accident?"

"Huh? I mean, of course I summoned you. I just didn't think it would be you specifically." Shirou though that that was the best answer. It would probably be bad to say that he had no idea about how that happened. Luckily the others picked up on what Shirou was trying to do.

"So, you didn't have a catalyst then?" Saber tilted her head. "I see. With that out of the way." She looked at the rest. "What is going on here?" Saber stepped in front of Arturia and examined her. "You are me?"

"It... it would seem so." Arturia stared back. "Kay got scratched on left arm by the lion cub I had adopted."

Saber shook her head. "His right arm." Arturia clenched her jaws. "Lancelot sprung Guinevere from jail before the execution."

Saber frowned from surprise. "No. He saved her from being burned at the stake, killing several knights in... the... process." She grabbed her head in pain. A vision wen t through her head. She had decided on Guinevere's fate. Merlin, Kay, Gawain, Bedivere were there. As well as Tristan, Ector and … Shirou? Her Master? That wasn't right. That was not how it happened.

At the same time Arturia grabbed Saber by her arm when she saw her agonizing expression. Now she grabbed her head in pain. Memories. Hers, yet they were not. Lancelot was dashing across the plaza towards the stake where Guinevere was waiting for her execution. She saw Lancelot killing Gawain's brothers and escaping with Guinevere. This was what hadn't happened, but what she knew should have happened. The difference was... Shirou. The pain abated and the two girls took some distance from each other. "What happened?" Saber asked

"I think you could call it interference." Merlin had a theory about what was going on. "This Servant is the same Arturia as our Arturia. But at the same she is not. There exist magecraft which allows one to access old skills through communing with past selves and allowing them to posses you. I theorize that it is something along those lines. Because they are both Arturia, their memories interfere with each other."

"So that's what it is?" Gawain was worried. This could lead to all sorts of complications.

"We should sit down and try to figure out how to deal with this." Kay moved outside.

"Kay?" Bedivere cocked his head.

"Why don't we go inside and discuss this at length. Saber's summoning has created complications which should be addressed immediately." Kay urged.

""Agreed."" Both Arturia's replied in unison. They looked at each other uncomfortably.

"This is weird." Saber remarked.

"That makes two of us." Arturia empathized.

Following Kay's suggestion they moved outside towards the main building. Suddenly Saber stopped and looked in the direction of the compound's wall. "What's wrong?" Shirou asked.

"There is another Servant and his Master nearby." Saber began moving in the direction. "I will face the enemy before they attack."

"Enemy? What are you...?" Before Shirou could stop her she jumped onto the roof. Everybody was amazed by how effortless she did that. Arturia would need to use prana burst to jump that high. This was the difference compared to a Servant

"Hey, wait!" Arturia called out. Saber looked at her. "If it is Archer and his Master, I ask that you won't fight them."

"You may be me, but I'm a Servant. I'm only here to fight." Saber responded coldly. Arturia felt unnerved by Saber's emotionless reply. Was this how it feels for others talking with her? Saber jumped over the wall.

"Wait!" Shirou yelled. He rushed towards the gate to go after her. Suddenly Arturia was next to him. Understanding what she wanted to do, he grabbed hold of her. Using Prana burst, she jumped over the wall. Merlin used his magic to open the gate, as the others went after them.

They heard the clashing of swords. As Shirou and Arturia closed in they saw Saber clash with a Servant clad in red. He was holding his own pretty well against Saber with his twin swords. Then Saber smashed through the man's swords with a powerful attack, exposing the man to a killing blow.

A white, sparkling light appeared around Saber. It was obvious that this was the result of a magic attack. Behind Archer they saw Tohsaka. She had tried to stop Saber, but had failed. Saber, however, didn't pay it any attention. Just as Excalibur was about to come down, Shirou called out again. "Stop, Saber!" One of his command spells disappeared.

"Shirou. Why do you stop me?" Saber asked indignant. "Are you mad? I could have killed him right here and now." At the same time the others arrived too.

"So that's how it is." Tohsaka motioned Archer to stand down. "Good evening, Shirou. Looks like you are the last Master."

"Looks like it." Shirou muttered.

"Judging from your interaction with her ...Is she an ally?" Saber pointed her sword at Rin.

"She ain't an enemy, if that's what you mean." Shirou scratched his head.

"We are on friendly terms." Arturia declared. Saber narrowed her eyes.

"Very well. I will trust you on this. And given this absurd situation, I can assume that every other Master already knows who I am." It was more a statement than a question. "I'm off to a bad start."

"It would seem so." Kay said. "This is very pertubatory."

"Most definitely. Who's orders will we follow?" Gawain wondered.

"You should follow hers." Saber answered. "I'm here as a Servant to win the Grail." She ended the matter. No one had any objections. It was only logical.

"Mind if we discuss this inside? It's kinda chilly tonight." Tohsaka made her typical brush through the hair gesture, as she walked passed Saber and Shirou. "This will prove most interesting. Archer. Guard the area would you."

"Of course." Archer responded. His eyes met Shirou's. As they looked at each other, Shirou couldn't help but feel a dislike towards him. Why was that. "It's impolite to stare."

"I wasn't starring at you." Shirou retorted.

"Next time we meet, you won't be walking away." He subsequently vanished. Shirou sensed killing intent in that moment. Directed towards him.

As they went inside, Kay moved next to him. "Shirou. From what we've learned about the Holy Grail, it grants a wish to the last Master and Servant."

"That is what Tohsaka told us. What about it?" Kay quickly threw a glance at Arturia. Now Shirou understood. Kay was worried about what wish Saber would like to see granted. In other words, what Arturia might want to see granted.

Once they were inside, they began to explain the situation to Saber. After they were don, Saber had grown awfully quiet. "So... The destruction of the Grail had created these portals that connect the present day, to our, my, era? And they've been around for ten years now?"

"That's basically it." Rin finished. Saber's expression was difficult to pin down, but definitely showed signs of doubt and anxiety. "Anyway. Say, do you have any problems with supplying her wit Prana?"

"I don't think I really know how to." Shirou admitted.

"He is not capable of doing so." Saber informed them.

"He ain't?" Tohsaka asked. "I'm surprised that you're so forthcoming about this matter."

"It's best to have Shirou understand the situation he is in. Besides, you would have noticed it sooner or later." Saber continued.

"We'll I shouldn't have been so surprised about it. Even when I've interacted with you so often these past months, I still don't know you all that well." Suddenly she jumped up and rubbed her head against the wall, startling everybody. "Damn it! What a waste! If I was Saber's Master, this War would be as good as won."

"You're saying that I'm not worthy of her?" Shirou objected.

"Of course I am. You hack!"

"Don't let her get to you." Arturia came to his defense. "There is more to a pact than just power." She looked at Saber, who agreed.

"Seeing as you have a problem supplying Saber with Prana..." Merlin interrupted. "Perhaps I can help you with that. I could make a pact with Shirou and..."

"That won't be necessary." Arturia, Saber and Shirou responded in unison.

"At least for now. We'll think about it." Shirou added quickly. Merlin giggled.

"Now then. Shall we go?" Tohsaka calmed down.

"Are going somewhere?" Merlin asked.

"Yep. We are going to the church." She turned towards Emiya. "Shirou. Since you sacrificed one of your command spells just now, I'll repay you. Come with me to the Church. That priest will fill you in on everything you need to know."

Shirou looked at the others. "I think it would be wise to do so. If you go, we'll come with you." Arturia declared.

"Fine then. Let's go Tohsaka." Shirou stood up. "Oh, wait a second. Won't Saber be confused by this time? We already know that her memories are not the same as Arturia's."

"Good point." Gawain agreed.

"That is not a problem." Saber said. "Servant's adapt to the era they are summoned to. Further more, I've already been summoned for this war once before."

"Wait? You've been summoned once before? What are the odds?" Tohsaka was shocked.

"Well, then. Shall we go?" Saber stood up.

""If we're going, we should do so well armed." Bedivere entered the room.

"Where have you been?" Kay asked.

"Just getting our weapons." Bedivere laid down the weapons he had retrieved. Kay grinned when he picked up his sword. "Shirou. I brought your bow as well." He handed Shirou his bow.

"Thanks, Bedivere."

They soon arrived at the Church. Shirou was kind of happy about this. Having two Arturia's made the atmosphere feel awkward. "It looks rather eerie tonight." Merlin commented.

"Yeah. I feel the same." Gawain agreed. "Shall we go inside?"

"Let's. Kotomine Kirei will explain everything you need to know, Emiya." Tohsaka lead the group.

Saber suddenly stopped. "I'll be waiting here."

"Why?" Tohsaka asked. "Do you have a past history with that Fake priest?"

Saber nodded. "He was one of our adversaries during the fourth war. Whatever you do, don't trust him."

"I know." Tohsaka agreed. And they continued onwards.

"Is that guy truly that untrustworthy?" Bedivere asked.

"Yeah. He might not be trying anything yet, but you better keep your guard up around him." Was her advice. "He was my father disciple. And after my father's passing he became my teacher. But I don't trust him."

"Wait that priest is also a Magus?" A wry grin played on Bedivere's lips. "I see. A fake priest."

They opened the doors and they entered the Church. "Oh. You've never accepted my repeated invitations, and now you're here with unusual guests. Rin." The priest finished as he turned around. "I take it that he is the seventh Master, then."

"Yep? Master of the Saber-class Servant." Tohsaka declared. "And you already know who they are."

"Indeed, I do. King Arthur and her knights. This is the first time we meet face to face." Kirei walked towards them.

"And you are the Priest, Kotomine Kirei." Arturia asked. "Rin has told us a thing or two about you already."

"Like me being a fake priest?" Kirei laughed. "Why don't get to the point. Saber's master. What is your name?"

"Emiya Shirou."

"Emiya?" What are the chances, he thought. "I take it that you came here to learn more about the ritual? All of you." He let his eyes go over them.

"Yeah. I made a pact with Saber. I know the basics of the War. Seven Servants and Masters fighting over the wish granting device called the Holly Grail. However, I'm not qualified to compete, because I'm not a proper magus." He felt the gazes of the others bore into him. It made him feel nervous. "You really ought to chose someone else."

"You really believe that Shirou?" Bedivere asked disappointed. Shirou nodded.

"You see. You'll need to explain things from square one." Tohsaka remarked.

"Indeed. This very serious." Kirei moved closer to Shirou. "Emiya Shirou, you cannot yield your status as Master to another. It has been conferred to you and thus you are bound to it. The Holy Grail has chosen you to participate in this Ritual."

"The Grail has chosen him?" Gawain interrupted. "How is that possible?"

"I'll come to that in a moment. The Holy Grail is an object of great power. You only need to look at the Servants for proof. To the one who obtains it, it is a source of limitless power." Kotomine continued.

"But if it so powerful, then why not share it?" Shirou asked.

"When it comes to objects of such great power, it is not that clear cut." Merlin pointed out.

"It is as he says. It was the Grail who decided this. In order to find the one most worthy of wielding it's power, it has the Masters and Servants fight each other to the death." Kirei finished.

"I don't really like this idea of killing others." Shirou clenched his left hand.

"Don't worry, Shirou." Tohsaka tried to assure him. "We don't have to kill each other."

"This is a fight to the death." Kirei reminded her.

"Hush, Kirei!" Tohsaka yelled. "Listen. The Holy Grail that appears in this city is a spiritual object. In that case, we can't touch it."

"And thus, you would need to eliminate the other Servants." Shirou finished her. Tohsaka nodded. "In that case, we could avoid killing the others."

"But that is easier said as done." Arturia shot down his hopes. "Isn't that right, Kirei?" Kirei nodded. Shirou looked at her.

"It is as she said." Kay jumped in. "It's obvious how powerful the Servant's are. So it stands to reason that even with a Servant it is difficult to eliminate another Servant."

"And thus it would be more efficient to kill of their Masters, since they anchor the Servants to this world." Gawain finished.

"I have no wish I would like to see granted." Shirou decided. "What if I used up all my spells right now?"

Everybody looked at him with either shock or with a blanks face, except for Kirei.

"Wait. That would be rash." Tohsaka argued.

"Doing that would mean forfeiting your rights as a Master." Kirei continued. "But I can not imagine any Magus who would waste magic as powerful as these Command Spells. But if you are determined, then break your contract." Kirei prompted. "Use your command spells to break your pact with Saber. However..." A smile appeared on his lips. "Doing so would be the act of someone less of a novice. A coward."

This struck a nerve with Shirou. He glared at him. "That bastard." Kay muttered silently. Bedivere and Gawain looked at him from the corners of their eyes. "This guy is trying to goad him into it." They others nodded in agreement.

"Have I convinced you? If not, then do it. And I'll shall guarantee your safety until the War ends."

"Why is that necessary?" Shirou asked.

"I've been tasked with overseeing the cycle of the ritual." Kirei continued. "Protecting the Masters that have lost their rights is top priority."

"We've suspected as much that there was such a thing." Merlin interrupted. "How many cycles have there been?"

"This is the fifth. The cycle repeats itself every sixty years. The last one was ten years ago, making this one the shortest yet." Kirei let his gaze go over everyone. "Each and every time the War grew more brutal. The Masters were driven by their own desires and engaged in indiscriminate slaughter."

"Scum." Gawain spat. "Magi never change."

Shirou clenched his fists. "What would happen if the winner would be a complete bastard."

"The Holy Grail is the omnipotent wish-granting chalice. We would be powerless to stop the one which the Grail has chosen." Kirei began circling them. "If you don't want that to happen, win it for yourself. At least it would mean that it won't fall in the hands of an indiscriminate killer."

"I don't really have a reason to fight." Shirou concluded.

"Even if the actions of the winner could end in disaster?" Kirei smirked. Shirou was wavering. "Fine. Then you don't have any interest in the events of ten years ago?"

"Ten years ago? What do mean?" Shirou suddenly felt anxious.

"Ten years ago, the Holy Grail fell in the hands of an unworthy Master. I do not know what he wished for. But we could all see the aftermath of that disaster." Kirei spoke about it calmly, like one would speak about ancient history.

"Disaster? You mean..." Shirou grew pale. Arturia looked at him worried. Suddenly, she fell saw a familiar vision in her head. She had seen it in her dream. The burning city. The boy. In the distance loomed an eerie shadow. Like an evil tower, topped by what looked like a black sun.

"The New Fuyuki fire." Arturia murmured.

"Oh. You know of it?" Kotomine was surprised. Arturia and the others nodded. Shirou looked at them stunned.

"Yes. Merlin learned of it during our stay. He also discovered that the Grail was somehow responsible for it." She admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Shirou felt betrayed.

"I had some doubts about whether or not we should." Arturia averted her gaze. "I'm sorry." The others too, felt the sting of guilt. Shirou suddenly felt dizzy and grabbed a nearby bench to prevent himself from falling over.

"Shirou. Are you alright?" Tohsaka moved in closer, as did Arturia.

"Tell me. Has anyone ever won the Grail?" Shirou pulled himself back together.

"One man had obtained it once, albeit briefly." Kirei admitted. "Nothing happened to him." Kirei had anticipated Shirou's next question. "Simply causing the Grail to appear is trivial. Once all the Masters have gathered, it will reveal itself in time. Last time the Grail had not yet reached completion. The result of a foolish man, letting sentiment get the better of him..." Kirei clenched his hands behind his back. "As Rin said, it isn't necessary to kill of the other Masters. But if you don't do it, the Grail will never be complete. It choses the Master who is most worthy of it. That is why that man, who avoided fighting, did not win the Grail."

"Simply put, it is meaningless unless you finish of the other Masters." Tohsaka scoffed. "In the last War, the one who got the Grail was weak."

"This is all that I have to say." Kirei stood in front of Shirou. "Emiya Shirou. Make your choice."

Not long after that, they were back outside. "I'm sorry." Arturia muttered. "We should have told you about our findings. I was afraid that you would feel compelled to join the Holy Grail War if you knew."

"I understand why. Not that it matters now." Shirou sighed. "Let's win this thing." They arrived at the gate where Saber was waiting for them.

"How did it go?" She asked.

"As you would expect. I'm participating." Shirou said. He held out his hand. Saber accepted the handshake, albeit a bit confused. Then she smiled.

"Allow me to renew my vow. As long as the Command Spells are on your body, I shall serve as your blade." Everyone around them smiled. In that moment Shirou felt determined. He couldn't let that tragedy from ten years ago repeat itself.


	38. Chapter 37

**Hey, Everybody. Sorry for the wait. I had some trouble getting in the right mood these last few months. Just to let you know. I'm back now. Please enjoy.**

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**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 37: The rightful owner

When Agravain returned to the castle, he was met by Mordred and Morgan. His mood soured immediately. How he disliked women. "Where have you been?" Morgan inquired.

"I was scouring the city for other Masters." Agravain stopped. "I've not encountered new Masters, but I did witness a clash between two Servants."

"Which ones?" Mordred asked.

"A fight between Lancer and Archer." He clarified. "It was quite the spectacle. Their Masters went at it as well. Lancelot and Guinevere were there, too."

"Tohsaka and that other woman duked it out? Who won?" Mordred wondered as she let Clarent twist in her hand.

"I didn't stick around to watch. When the battle almost ended, I left to avoid being discovered." Agravain admitted. "But I did learn the Lancer's true name. Ireland's Child of light, Cú Chulainn."

"Oho. That is valuable information indeed." Morgan was pleased. "Cú Chulainn and Gae Bolg."

"We have trouble!" Giraud shouted as he came into the room.

"You shouldn't interrupt so brazenly, Giraud." Morgan complained.

"I'm sorry, milady. But there is an emergency." Giraud informed them. "Esdelot just warned us that someone has invaded our territory and is making it's way here."

"And the traps and defenses aren't stopping them?" Agravain asked.

Giraud shook his head. "No, sir. It's worse. According to Esdelot they have retaken control of the outer boundary field and have either neutralized or smashed through the other traps. And very fast."

"Father?" Mordred clenched her teeth.

"Perhaps. But even with Merlin on her side, they shouldn't be able to breach our defenses this easily." Morgan tapped her chin. "It also sounds too rash to be her." They all agreed with that last comment.

"The men and homunculi are preparing the defenses. We expect them to arrive very shortly."

"We'll join you outside. Have some men posted at the south, east and west side to keep an eye out for sneak attacks." Mordred ordered.

"At once." Giraud replied before rushing off.

"Shall we go and meet our uninvited guests?" Morgan spoke casually as if nothing was happening.

"Yeah. Let's go see who our guests are." Mordred grinned. Soon they stood at the main entrance. Everybody was ready for battle.

The homunculi formed the main line, with some of the other rebels standing in reserve. Others were positioned near windows with bows and crossbows. They even had a ballista set up on the roof, next to Esdelot. Morgan, Mordred, Agravain, Dunstan and Giraud stood inside the door way, ready for action. They didn't have to wait long for a long car, a limousine, to arrived and stopped fifty meters away from their front lines. The doors opened and two women clad in white dresses came out.

"They are homunculi." Morgan whispered. Mordred's eye twitched. The woman with the stern face opened the door and a small, white haired girl exited the vehicle.

"We're finally here." The girl said, as she looked at the castle. "However..."

"Yes, my lady. It has been taken over by a bunch of ill-mannered ruffians." The stern looking maid frowned. "In the name of the Noble house of Einzbern, you people will leave the premise immediately or die where your stand."

"Watch your tongue plebeian." Agravain countered. "You are in the presence of royalty. Know your place." He motioned to Morgan. "This is the lady Morgan 'le Fay' Pendragon and the son of King Arthur, Mordred Pendragon. Someone of noble birth should recognize their place." The woman gritted her teeth.

"Calm down." The girl said to the maid, who bowed and took a step back. The girl walked a few steps forward. "Please excuse her. Sella is rather protective of me." She took hold of her skirt and made a curtsy bow. "How do you do? My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern."

"Good day, Illyasviel. I am Morgan 'le Fay'. Sorry to have intruded on your house, but we were in need of a good base of operations." Morgan spoke softly. Mordred rolled her eyes. They should just cut to business.

"I understand. You're here for the Grail, aren't you?" Morgan nodded in response. "That's a bit of a problem. It was created by my family and I've come to retrieve it. Leave this place and return to your own time."

"Out of the question." Mordred spoke up. "That Holy Grail would be invaluable to our cause." She pointed Clarent at Illya.

"As my 'son' said, we will not be leaving. Also, I would like to ask you a few questions. Some things I've investigated don't add up and I would like to confirm my hypothesis." Morgan smiled. "And since you've come here to retrieve it, that would mean that you're planning to summon a Servant. I demand that you hand over your Command Spells at once. For your own sake, I suggest that you cooperate." Morgan spoke as if she had invited them for tea. The homunculi began to move in on the trio.

The other maid jumped in front of Illya, wielding a massive halberd. A smile appeared on Illya's face. "Why should I? You may be royalty, but here you don't have any authority." She giggled. "Looks like my servant will have to force you out, then."

"A single homunculus isn't that much of a ..." Morgan fell silent. Everybody fell silent, as the realization of what the girl had just said sank in. "You..."

"Looks like you finally realized." They felt a wave of blood lust from the girl as she moved a couple of steps forward. The girl's smile was a promise of death. Behind her the air distorted and her Servant began to materialize. "It doesn't matter how strong you people are, because Berserker is stronger than everybody else."

A dark giant standing at an imposing two and a half meters tall, wielding a large axe-sword made of stone. Most of the regular men froze into place. The homunculi tensed up. Morgan and Morded and the rest of the leaders felt their hearts racing. This thing was death incarnate. "Go get them, Berserker." Illyasviel said with a gentle voice.

And with a thunderous roar, Berserker blasted into motion. The dozen homunculi did not have the time to evade. The axe-sword came in horizontally and over half the homunculi were bereft of their top halves, while the others were blown aside by the gust of wind. The giant eyed the rest of the group and making briefly eye-contact with Mordred. Mordred immediately understood what they were dealing with.

"Slow him down! Fire!" Dunstan yelled, his face pale from witnessing Beserker's raw power. The men fired all their bows and crossbows. Lastly the ballista shot his. It's bolt going square for it's chest. Every projectile bounced off harmlessly. Had that giant even noticed it?

"Everybody retreat!" Mordred ordered as she put on her helmet. "Agravain, with me. We'll keep him occupied. Mother, please cover us."

"Understood." Agravain drew his sword and followed. They split up and attacked the giant from both sides at once. Mordred use Prana Burst, launching herself at full force at the giant's head. Agravain went for the legs. The giant reacted with lightning speed. He used his weapon to deflect Agravain's attack. At the same time he bend backwards, causing Mordred to miss. The giant made a complete flip, kicking Mordred in the process.

Mordred barely managed to block the attack, but she was flung away.

The giant's agility was shocking. Mordred twisted in the air absorbed the shock with her legs as she hit the wall. Agravain managed to distance himself from the giant, who just planted his feet back on the ground and turned to face him. At that moment Berserker was hit by a devastating ray of light. The resulting explosion rocked the earth.

Mordred looked around her. The others were already fleeing into the woods. She gritted her teeth. Had she blocked a moment too late, that blow would have caused some severe damage. A bright light flashed, along with the thunderous roar of an explosion. She looked at her mother. She had obviously cast a powerful spell. Morded eyed the inferno, where Berserker had just stood. Did mother get that thing? No, it wouldn't be that easy. And right she was. The behemoth exited the flames without so much as a scratch on it.

Mordred rejoined Agravain and together they fought on. Morgan and Esdelot provided rear support. The battle was intense. Beserker's strength alone was terrifying enough. And than there were his skills and agility. They inflicted several deep wounds on him, but it hardly slowed him down. And slowly but surely they began to tire.

"Esdelot!" Her mother suddenly yelled. The next moment the area became enveloped in a dense fog. Using the fog to cover their escape, they retreated. Today they had lost their base.

"It's alright Berserker. Let them go." Illyasviel said. "They've understood how things stand. Now let's go inside."

"I can only imagine the mess they've left behind." Sella sighed. "It will take forever to clean up."

"Don't worry, Sella. We'll manage." Lysritt assured her.

"It sure was bothersome. I had to skip out on meeting Shirou, because of them." Illya complained.

"Worry not, my lady." Sella said. "You'll meet him soon enough."

"That's right. I won't let anyone else have him. I am the one who shall kill him."

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"Thanks for that, Tohsaka." Shirou said as they arrived at his home.

"Don't mention it." Tohsaka replied. "Now you're up to speed with it. Before I leave though, I would like to form an alliance with you."

"An alliance?" Shirou thought about it.

"I advise that you take her up on her offer." Saber supported the proposition. "For someone of your skill it would be the most suitable course of action."

Shirou looked at Arturia and the others. They agreed. "Very well then." Shirou extended his hand and Tohsaka accepted it. "What will you do now?"

"I will return home. It's been a long night." Tohsaka started away. "See you tomorrow. Let's go Archer."

"Understood." Archer casted on more glance over his shoulder at Shirou. Shirou once again affirmed that he didn't like that guy.

"It seems that Archer has a problem with you." Merlin noted.

"The feeling is mutual." Shirou grumbled. "Now then. Where will you be sleeping, Saber?"

"I suggest my room." Arturia proposed. "It would be the most efficient course. "I can share my clothes with her and such. What about it, Saber?"

"Agreed. Please show me the way."

"This way." Arturia led Saber inside.

"This could be troublesome." Kay mused. "We need to take precautions. It would be very odd if people start noticing her 'twin'."

"Most certainly. There is something that worries me more than that." Bedivere sounded distressed. Everybody looked at him. "The Holy Grail War is built on the premises that both Master and Servant are allowed a wish, right." They nodded. "What wish does she want to see fulfilled?" Bedivere had touched upon a worrisome subject. If Shirou and Saber would win the War ... what wish would Saber see enacted.

"Here it is." Saber and Arturia arrived at the room. "Please come in."

"Rather empty." Saber commented.

"I keep most of my stuff in the closet." Arturia pointed at it. "That said. Let me show you something." She opened the closet.

"Oh!" Saber marveled.

The next day Shirou had gotten up earlier than usual. He would need to fill a second bottomless pit after all. He sighed when he thought about the expenses. Luckily everybody had pitched in. Since their stay here they had eventually all picked up a job. "This looks about right." Shirou said as he finished Saber's meal. He put it on a tray and went to their room. "Bedivere would you mind keeping an eye out on the rest?" He asked before leaving the living room.

"Of course." Bedivere stood up and went into the kitchen.

Shirou knocked on arrival. "Come in." Shirou couldn't discern who said that. When he entered he saw that both girls had just finished dressing. One was wearing the same blue skirt and white blouse, while the other wore a blue short skirt with trimmed with white frills and a matching blue shoulder-less and sleeveless top with a large blue bow on her chest. It was complemented with a blue neck cover and blue long, fingerless gloves on her lower arms. The top of her chest and upper arms were covered by a black cover. Finally her legs were covered by black leggings.

"Uhm. Which one of you is Saber?"

"That would be me." The one with the white blouse replied.

"I brought you your breakfast." Shirou put down the tray. "Help yourself."

Saber kneeled at the tray and took the chopsticks. She tried some of the fish. The flavour stunned her for a moment. "This is delicious." And she began to dig in eagerly.

"I told you it was good." Arturia grinned. "I take it that the rest is also ready?" She directed herself to Shirou.

"Of course. We just need to wait for Taiga and Sakura. They can arrive at any minute."

"In that case I will be keeping her company until then." Arturia sat down in front of Saber.

"I will let you know when we they're here." Shirou began to leave. "Those clothes look good on you." Shirou commented, slightly blushing.

"Thank you Shirou." Arturia also blushed, though Shirou didn't notice this.

"Do you like him?" Saber asked when the door shut.

"What? I uhm..." Arturia was tongue tied for a moment. Her cheeks blushed bright red. "Perhaps I do. I guess he grew on me." Arturia contemplated on the thought. Had she changed during her stay? Perhaps a little, she guessed.

"Like you feel a sense of kindred." Arturia nodded. "He makes me feel the same way." Saber's eyes narrowed. "Would you still sacrifice everything for Britain?"

Arturia was taken by surprise. After a short moment she answered. "Of course I would."

"I would expect nothing else from myself." Saber smiled contently.

Not long after, Sakura and Taiga arrived. After a hearty meal, they quickly went to their morning practice. They didn't encounter Saber. The morning passed peacefully, until the phone rang. Shirou answered. "Hello. Emiya residence."

"Yo, Emiya." It was Mordred. "How are you doing?"

"Mordred." Emiya was surprised. But Saber most of all. Something Kay and Arturia, the only two still there, noticed. "That's a surprise. But I guess this isn't a social call."

"Indeed it is not." Her words claimed the imperious authority. "Come to the roof of the school. It's urgent. Also, take that flake of a Merlin with you. See you later."

"Wait up. What's this about?" But Mordred had already hung up on him. "Hello? Hello?" Shirou hung up. "Mordred asked me to come to the roof of the school building. She also asked for Merlin."

"Why would she need him?" Kay wondered.

"I don't know. But it sounded urgent." Shirou moved towards the hall. "Are you guys coming?" They stood up in unison, except for Saber who hesitated for a moment.

Kay went looking for Merlin, as he always kept tabs on where that poltergeist went. The others went straight for the school. Upon arriving at the school, Shirou felt that something was wrong. The atmosphere felt heavy. This must be why she had called them. He rushed towards the roof. Saber would go around the back and jump on top of the roof to avoid detection. Mordred was standing together with Tohsaka and Archer, when they arrived. Even Ayako and the trio were there.

"Why are there so many people here?" Shirou wondered.

"Tohsaka wanted to show me something important." Mordred pointed at Tohsaka with her thumb. "The others just happened to follow us along. I mean... It's not like that they are ignorant about what happens around here after that incident." She walked towards him, her hands on her sides. "Oh, yeah. I heard that you summoned a Servant."

Shirou shot a glare at Tohsaka, who waved awkwardly. "I did. You might brace yourself when she arrives." As on cue Saber leaped over the fence and landed on the roof. They stared in shock at Saber.

"Two Arturia's?" Yukika gasped. "How can there be two?"

"Easy Yukika. Heroic Spirits exist outside of the flow of time. They can even be summoned in their own age." Tohsaka clarified. "Just call her Saber."

"Saber?" Mordred stared hard at her. She had trouble with her father alone, now that trouble has now doubled. Saber returned the stare. The atmosphere became very chill all of a sudden.

"Mordred." Saber greeted her without any show of emotions. Mordred's eye twitched. Arturia suddenly felt disconcerted. Has she always been like this? Of course she had been. She killed her own emotions to be the perfect king. But now... Standing here watching at her very self, she felt thrown off balance.

"Well, well." Ayako jumped in trying to ease the tension. "Why won't you show us what all the fuss is about, Tohsaka?"

"That would be best. The reason why I called you here, is because of this." She pointed at something on the floor. They moved closer to get a better view.

"A magic circle?" Makidera tilted her head. "Is that what all the fuss is about?"

"It's not just an ordinary circle, but one that creates more all over the school property all the time, in order to create a boundary field." Tohsaka clarified.

"And what does thing do?" Kane felt nervous.

"This one is particularly gruesome. Should this thing be activated, it would kill everybody inside the campus, effectively dissolving them. And catching the souls that are released to increase the Servant's Prana stores." Tohsaka dropped the bomb. "This is soul eating."

"So this is what caused that uncomfortable feeling." Shirou looked at it.

"You mean everybody would die?" Yukika trembled on her legs. "That's awful."

"Correct. This method is very efficient in that regard." Tohsaka sighed.

"So Servants eat people?" Makidera jumped away from Archer.

"Fundamentally, we are non-corporeal beings." Archer reminded them. "Every Servant is summoned as he was at the height of his or her power, along with all his feelings, morals and regrets. A morally guided hero would never do such a thing."

"We understand. Archer, let's never mention this again." Tohsaka felt aggravated.

"I agree. I would never do such a thing."

"That's a relief." Yukika exhaled. "But what are you going to about it?"

"I can slow down it's growth. But to be honest, this is way over my head." TohsakThat's why you asked for Merlin, right?" Shirou pointed out.

"That was Mordred's idea." Ayako smiled.

"Why didn't you ask your mother?" Makidera asked. Everybody stared at her unblinking.

"Because she is my mother. Do you really think she, Morgan le Fay, would even bother with this?" Makidera shrank back behind Kane at Mordred's words.

"Kay went looking for him." Arturia said. "I don't know how long it will take, though."

"I see. If we have to wait, then why won't you tell us about that Servant that drove you guys off?" Tohsaka directed herself to Mordred.

"Another Servant has shown up?" Saber's voice jumped in urgency.

"Yeah. It arrived last night and apparently that thing drove her out of their base." Makidera blurted out.

"Maki-chan. I don't think that you should have said that." Kane glanced at Mordred, who shot an angry glare at Makidera.

"Sorry."

"No. I simply shouldn't have told you that." Mordred grumbled. "But about that Servant... That thing was a giant. Standing at almost twice the height of normal people. And it has the strength and savagery to go with it."

"That must have been Berserker." Tohsaka deduced. "Do you know who it's Master was?"

"A girl named Illyasviel von Einzbern." Mordred paced around. "That girl looks like twelve, but I bet she is much older. The Einzbern's were the one's who created the Grail, right?"

"Indeed. They did. My family provided the land and the Matou's created the Command Spells." Tohsaka explained, brushing her hair.

"Matou? As in Sakura and Shinji Matou?" Kane made the connection. "They are a family of Magi?"

"Yup. But their bloodline withered. They no longer have any magi in their family." Tohsaka added.

"Do you guys want me to continue telling about Berserker or not?" Mordred asked impatiently.

"Please continue." Shirou replied.

"Good. That thing also has finally honed combat instincts and agility that you would not expect from something of that size." Mordred bit her lip. "And durability, too. Mother hit it with a particular powerful spell... It survived without so much as a scratch. I doubt it had even noticed."

"Servant's are scary." Makidera shuddered.

"Judging what you've told us, I believe that it has some kind of defensive Noble Phantasm or high protection against Magic." Tohsaka went over the details in her head. "How would you describe that girl's control over Berserker?"

Mordred thought about it for a second. "She had complete control over it." That was the only viable answer.

"That's troublesome. Looks like that Illyasviel is a monster in her own right." Tohsaka was deeply troubled. "The Berserker class is used to augment a weaker hero. But it also brings a slew of problems with it. The Servant becomes more difficult to control and it's Prana consumption also increases drastically. The Master's of Berserker usually succumb to the increased demands. From what you told us, it's obvious that Berserker is an A rank Heroic Spirit. Having summoned such a hero as Berserker and having complete control over it."

"This one could face all the other Servants simultaneously and still come out on top." Archer was certain of this.

"You seem certain of this Archer." Saber noted.

"I am. Taking down this thing should be our top priority." Archer decided. "Or we could let Caster take care of him."

"Caster?" Saber tilted her head. "What makes you so certain that Caster would be able to achieve this."

"Caster has been harvesting Prana from the city's population for quite a while now. At this point she will undoubtedly have garnered a massive amount of it."

"Despicable." Saber clenched her fists.

"Indeed. Merlin discovered this not so long ago. What troubles me more is the fact that Merlin acknowledged that Caster is more powerful than him." Arturia frowned.

"More powerful than Merlin?" Saber narrowed her eyes.

"Considering her power she may hail from the Age of the Gods." Archer added.

"If she is as powerful as you say, we should take her out first." Saber motioned. "Do we know where she is?"

"She is holding up in the Temple." Archer pointed at the mountain. "Which is highly inconvenient as it is surrounded by a Boundary field that repels even us Servants. The only viable option for would be to attack through the main entrance."

"Hey, wait a minute. Are you guys planning to attack the temple?" Ayako was shocked. "If you guys start a fight there, everyone who lives there could die."

"She has a point, Tohsaka." Shirou agreed. "Do you think we can lure her out of the temple? Further more, do we know who her Master is?"

"I don't think it will be that easy. Caster has acted cautiously since the beginning." Tohsaka shot it down. "Ah, well. We will deal with her another time. Now that Berserker is here, all Servants except for Assassin are accounted for."

The door to the roof opened. Kay and Merlin had finally arrived. "Hello. I heard that you were in need of my assistance." Merlin's childish mannerism totally didn't fit the situation. Tohsaka quickly explained the situation to him. "I see the problem. Indeed, indeed. This is very ancient and powerful."

"Thanks for stating the obvious." Mordred scoffed. "Can you do something about it?"

"Yes...and no." Merlin answer was less than expected. "No, as in I can not remove it. But yes, in that I can prevent it from being activated. At least for a while."

"In other words: getting rid of whatever Servant did this is our only viable option." Archer surmised.

"Do we know which Servant is responsible for this?" Kay asked.

"Rider." Mordred spoke resolutely. Everybody looked at her. "Remember Tohsaka? She tried to drain Ayako like some two-bit vampire. I am certain it is her."

"Mitsuzuri-san! Such a thing happened to you?" Yukika gasped.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." She patted Mordred on her shoulder. "I had a knight in shining armor coming to my rescue."

"Mordred is that kind of person after all." Kane remarked.

"Uhm. We are lucky to have her." Makidera chirped.

"Yes, yes. I merely acted like a knight should." Mordred waved their praise off nonchalantly.

"Regardless of our differences, I always recognized you as a good knight." Arturia approved. Saber flinched involuntarily. And Mordred didn't seem to appreciate the words. Arturia sensed the change in atmosphere. "Ahum. Merlin, can you get to work on containing it?"

"Sure thing." Merlin took some items from his coat and began preparing the ritual.

"Where were you this morning, Merlin?" Saber inquired.

"Ah, I had paid a visit to Lancelot and Guinevere." Saber reeled when she heard that Lancelot and Guinevere were here too. The image of Lancelot as Berserker flashed through her mind. This time everyone noticed.

"Is everything alright, Saber?" Her expression worried Shirou.

"Huh? Ah...I'm fine, Shirou." Saber answered awkwardly. But everybody could hear something else in her voice. Guilt. This was especially shocking for Arturia. She and Saber were the same person. So what happened to Saber for her to react as she did? Mordred too, was equally baffled. She always had considered her father to be unshakable. This kind of reaction felt so wrong to her.

After Merlin finished up his ritual they all returned home. Today had not been a pleasant day. They found a boundary field meant to kill the entire school. And there had been some worrisome behavior on Saber's part.

"Shirou. Let's go out tonight." Tohsaka said when they arrived at the crossing.

"Huh? Go out?" Shirou blinked surprised.

"Easy. It's not a date. What I meant is that I would like to go out on patrol tonight with you and Saber. The fighting of the Holy Grail takes place at night." Tohsaka clarified. She also felt some amusement from Shirou's reaction. "I get the feeling that we have a good chance to have a run in with Rider, now that we've thrown a wrench in her plans."

"I agree with her Shirou." Saber said. "We've weakened Rider's position. It would be unlikely that she wouldn't act."

"Then, I shall come too." Arturia jumped at the chance. "The others will also join us, no doubt."

"Are you going to interfere?" Archer suddenly spoke out.

"Archer?" Tohsaka was surprised.

"The Holy Grail War is, in a way, a competition. It would be unfair for one side to have the backing of King Arthur and her knights."

"That's..." Arturia had no words against this.

"I'm amazed that you would object. You struck me as a pragmatic person, who would grab any advantage he could get." Kay remarked.

"You're right about that." Archer admitted. "But you and your knights are important historical characters. If anything happens to you, it would be disastrous."

"I understand your reasoning. Let us make a promise to you then." Kay glanced at Arturia, who understood what Kay was going for and offered her consent. "We will not fight any Servants during the duration of the War. However, with Morgan and Mordred still at large, we will join you in order to stop whatever problems they might cause."

Kay offered a sound argument. Though that wasn't the only reason. He knew that Archer was a good person at hearth, but at the same time he had noticed that he had an unexplained animosity towards Shirou. They would need to figure out why.

"Agreed. But it would be very troublesome to rescue you if things go wrong. Try to avoid unnecessary danger." Archer declared. "Shall we go Master?"

"Ah, sure." Tohsaka replied. "Well, then. Everybody. Let's say here at eight o-clock sharp?"

"Alright Tohsaka. See you then." Shirou nodded. And they split ways. Tonight would prove to be busy.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

That evening, Mordred stood guard on the roof, donning her full armor. After all, she had to be prepared. If her instincts were correct, she would soon encounter Rider. And perhaps even her Master. She looked at the stone in her hand. It was an item she had swiped from her mother. An item that completely hides the presence of it's owner. Going from her knowledge about Rider, it was certain that her Master was probably weak. It was risky, but if she succeeded, she could gain a Servant. She could see her wish fulfilled. "Father. I will show you my worth." She muttered.

Her patience was rewarded. Around seven o'clock Rider showed up. She knelt besides the sigil and let her fingers trace over it. The door flew open and someone else arrived. "Well, Rider. What is wrong with the Blood fort?" The boy brushed through wavy hair. His voice was haughty as hell. Mordred's eyes almost popped out of her sockets when he heard his voice. No way!

"It looks like somebody has put a seal on it, preventing it from activating, Master." Rider spoke collected.

"Can you undo it?" The boy complained. The boy took a couple of steps forward, giving Mordred a good view of his face. As Mordred had expected, it was Matou Shinji.

"Most certainly. But it will take some time. Both to uplift the seal and for the Blood Fort to regain it's necessary strength." Rider explained. This seemed to tick off Shinji.

"Useless as always." He spat. "Why do I get to be stuck with you?" He had no respect for her. Somewhere Mordred felt sorry for Rider. As Shinji turned, she could see that he was holding some sort of book.

Rider became alert all of a sudden. Mordred's heart froze for a moment. Had she sensed her? "Master. I detect a potent amount of Magical energy nearby."

"A Master?" Shinji tensed up.

"Maybe. Whatever the case, it appears to be alone." Rider confirmed.

"A potent Magical source, he." A wicked grin appeared on Shinji's lips. "Investigate, Rider. If it is really alone, we could use it strengthen our Prana reserves. Now, go."

"Understood, Master." And Rider disappeared. Mordred couldn't believe her luck. At this moment she felt triumphant.

Shinji began pacing impatiently for Rider to return. Suddenly he felt an armored hand patting him on the shoulder. Shinji froze on the spot. When he turned around, he was greeted by Mordred's smiling face. "Yo, Shinji. Pleasant evening, is it not? Hope you don't mind but... I would like to have your Command Spells."

Shinji ripped himself free and backed down. "Mordred. What are you doing here?"

"I told you. I would like to gain your rights as a Master." Mordred pressed his advance. Shinji panicked. He launched an attack of three black shadows which raced towards Mordred as a trio of guillotine blades. Mordred kept calm and side stepped the attack with ease.

"A Grimoire? I see. Whatever You're not worthy of those Spells." Mordred spat. "Just hand them over. Your family no longer has any Magi, so what's the point?"

"I won't let you take away my wish." Shinji straightened his posture. He was trying to act brave, but was failing miserably. He was trembling badly. "This is my only chance to become a Magus."

"So you wish is to revitalize your bloodline? Boring." Mordred scoffed.

"What do you know? Because I wasn't born as one, my family shunned me. Do you know what it feels like for your own father look at you as some kind of insect... as a failure?" Shinji was about to break down. But suddenly Mordred dropped her hostility. She still didn't like him, but she understood his pain. Wasn't she planning to cast Britain into turmoil because of a similar reason? How would that be different than sacrificing a school.

"No. I do understand." Shinji's fear made room for surprise. "I too, look to be acknowledged by my father." An idea formed in her mind. "Let's make a deal."

"A deal? You're trying to trick me, aren't you?" Shinji couldn't believe it. It was too good to be true.

"NO. I will honor it. On my honor as a knight. Unless you break our agreement first." Mordred pointed at him. "I will help you. And together, we will obtain the Grail."

"Are you serious? That would never work! If I did that we would end up fighting over it in the end." Shinji realized this.

"Probably. But we will cross that bridge when we come to it." Mordred admitted. "However... seeing that you resort to these tactics, it is obvious that you are among the weakest, if not the weakest of the Masters. I think you could use my help. I can also protect you from my mother."

Shinji went over it in his head. Indeed, it made sense. And if this alliance proved successful, he could obtain the Grail. "What... What are your terms?"

"I'm glad that you see reason. I will help you in anyway I can, on the condition that you don't resort to anymore of those cowardly stratagems." Mordred declared. "In return you will provide me with any information I ask for and your cooperation."

"Cowardly stratagems?" Shinji pointed at the circle. Mordred nodded in confirmation. "I think I can agree to that." Shinji moved forward and outstretched his hand. And so they shook on it. On this unlikely alliance.

The next moment Rider returned. "Master? What is going on?"

"Ah, Rider. We've made an ally." He motioned to Mordred.

"An ally?" Rider looked at Mordred. "She would prove to be a powerful ally. But she wouldn't agree without conditions."

"Yeah. You got that right. The most important ones are: one, don't betray my trust. And two, no more attacking innocent people." Mordred warned. Shinji nodded timidly.

"I understand. But does that also apply to him?" Rider's chain-dagger appeared and she gave a powerful yank on it. A figure flew over the fence and landed in front of them. It was Esdelot.

"You whore. I'll get you for this!" He growled at rider. "So...you've betrayed your mother, Mordred." Esdelot spat. "How wonderful. She would be eager to learn about this." Esdelot however knew he was in deep trouble. Inside he cursed himself. After that debacle with Berserker Morgan had commandeered his homunculi because she thought she could use them better than him.

In essence this meant that Esdelot had been stripped of his most important fighting strength. Esdelot had a bad habit of doing some stupid things when times grew tough on him. He wanted to find a way to increase his standing with Morgan again. Then he noticed Mordred sneaking out. Eager to prove his worth to Morgan he followed her... and so he landed in this situation.

"No. This guy is fair game." Mordred grinned. Besides, she couldn't let this guy run his mouth off.

"I'm glad to hear that. Do it Rider!" Shinji sneered.

"As you wish." Rider rose Esdelot to eye level.

"No...No...No... Sir Mordred! Please, don't." Esdelot saw his life flash by. To think that his life would end like this. Rider bit in his neck and began sucking. Mordred expected her to suck all of his blood, but the reality was more gruesome. It was as if Esdelot's flesh turned liquid. Rider sucked up all of it, while Esdelot wailed like a pig. Mordred had seen a lot of ugly things, but this one was most definitely one of the more gut wrenching. Even by her high standards. A few seconds later, it was over. Esdelot's bones fell on the ground without a drop of blood.

"Good job, Rider. This will help us considerably." Shinji laughed. "Now, remove the Blood Fort and let us leave." Rider went to work immediately. Mordred eyed Shinji from the corner of her eye. At the very least, he had a strong stomach. She didn't liked what that said about his personality. "Now then, Mordred. What shall we do first?"

"Why don't you tell me more about what you know. I heard that your family was directly involved with creating the Grail." Mordred suggested. "But first... let us move from here. Tohsaka, Shirou and my father are hoping to encounter you two, since they thwarted your plan."

"I see. Let's go to the Verde. We can talk there." Shinji looked towards the Shinto district.

"Why not at your home?" Mordred wanted to know.

"Because I don't want that old man knowing about this." Shinji growled.

"Old man?"

"Zouken. He is the head of the family and my grandpa. But in reality that guy is..." Shinji smirked. "Well... he is over 500 years old. In fact, he was directly involved in the creation of this ritual."

Mordred was now very eager to continue this conversation.


	39. Chapter 38

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 38: Full on confrontation

Mordred returned to the new hideout. She couldn't help but hum a little, for she had managed to get one step closer to the Grail. And Esdelot had been dealt with, too. That also left her with a problem. Her mother would want to know what happened to him. Would she be forced to provide an explanation? Or could she feign ignorance? Esdelot's death will have consequences for Morgan's plans, obviously. None that her mother couldn't overcome, mind you.

"Hmm. I should return this charm first, before mother realizes that I took it." She tossed and caught the stone. Good thing that this new hideout had a lot of pathways.

It was a small labyrinth of caves, probably caused by some ancient underground river, long since dried out. A couple of the men had stumbled on it, in their early days of arrival. The homunculi and some golems had been working on it nonstop since then. And they did some good work, too. It bore resemblance to Morgan's underground hideout back in Britain. Especially, since Morgan arrived. She always desired some level of luxury.

"Sir Mordred. Where have you been?" Mordred ran into Agravain. So annoying. "I've doubts about your habit to leave the hideout so often. Especially, now that the danger has increased."

"What? You think I can't take care of myself?" That came out more agitated than Mordred wanted.

"Against one of the knights alone, yes. But if you were to run into your father, or more than one knight... or a Servant." Agravain said honestly. Mordred however only agreed with him when it came to Servants though. "That aside...Have you seen Esdelot?"

There it was. Mordred remained dead calm. "I haven't seen him. Did he disappear? Wouldn't be surprising. He has done things like this before."

"True. He probably did it because your mother took control of his homunculi. It's almost certain that will try to find a way to gain some better footing with her." Agravain deduced.

"Obviously." Mordred agreed. "He wants to stay alive until he can get the drop on us."

"A lively fantasy, that one has. But we all know that he's mostly bark at this point." Agravain scoffed. "I'll go take a look around the city, just in case." He marched off. Mordred felt sorry for him. He went out to look for a dead guy. But she shouldn't dwell on that now.

"Let's return this to mother." She tossed the stone up again and caught it.

"So he is dead." Mordred could hear Dunstan speak to her mother as she approached her chambers. Upon peeking inside, she confirmed that Morgan and Dunstan were in the next room.

"Yes, I am. The homunculi have felt his passing." Mordred kept her eyes on the door as she quickly put the item back in its proper place. She could hear the voices getting louder. Mordred decided to move towards the door and pretend that she came to speak to her mother. "This is very bothersome. I still had some use for him." She and Dunstan entered.

"Oh, Mordred. Is there something you wanted?" Morgan looked at her, wondering.

"Nothing, really." Mordred feigned ignorance. "I just ran into Agravain, who was looking for Esdelot." She pointed over her shoulder. "But from what I just heard, Agravain is now looking for a dead guy. Did Esdelot really kick the bucket?"

"Yes, Sir Mordred. The homunculi felt him die a couple of hours ago." Dunstan confirmed.

"Then why was Agravain not aware when he began searching?" Mordred wondered.

"I was making some modifications to the homunculi. They were put asleep during the process. Hence we just learned about it only just now." Morgan clarified. "I'll send a familiar to recall Agravain right away." Morgan made a gesture and a bat came down to hang on her finger. She quickly whispered something in it's ear and the bat departed. "Annoyingly enough, because I was working on them, they weren't able to discern how he died."

Mordred cheered a bit on the inside. "That would be problem indeed."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Shinji. How are things proceeding?" Shinji's heart skipped a beat when Zouken suddenly appeared from the shadows. "How long until you activate the Blood Fort?"

Shinji took a moment to collect himself. Having Zouken stare at him like that wasn't helping at all. Time for some acting. "Unfortunately grandpa, that plan is a bust." With a frustrated scowl he turned around. He became more nervous when his eyes met Zouken's disapproving gaze. "Someone actually managed to remove it. I think it was Merlin, though I'm not sure."

"Merlin... removed the Blood Fort?" Zouken repeated slowly. "What a failure. I wish that Sakura was willing to fight." Shinji gulped. "Shinji. I suggest that you increase your efforts. I won't tolerate anymore failures." Zouken turned around and walked away.

"Stupid old geezer. Just you wait." Shinji scowled when Zouken was gone.

"You won't be telling him about your deal?" Rider appeared next to him.

"Of course not, you idiot. My deal with her is my trump card." Why was she so slow to understand. "Tsst. You are forbidden from telling anybody. That includes Sakura."

"As you wish." Rider complied.

"Now leave me. I will call you again when needed." Rider vanished. "Shinji brushed through his hair from annoyance and went to his room.

"Onii-san." Sakura appeared at the top of the stairs. "Is everything alright?"

"That is none of your concern." Shinji pushed past her.

"Did you remove the Blood Fort?" Sakura rubbed her hands together nervously. Shinji turned around. "I heard part of your conversation with grandpa..." Shinji slapped her across her face. She yelped.

"That's what you get for eavesdropping." Shinji growled.

"I didn't mean to. I just overheard when I was passing by." Sakura cowered.

"Stop your whining. Yes. I did give up on the Blood Fort." Shinji admitted. "Are you happy? Now I need to change strategy because of it." Obviously, he wouldn't tell her about his deal with Mordred. She had refused to fight in the first place, so why should he. "I'm going to bed. So leave me alone." And Shinji disappeared into his room.

Sakura descended down the stairs, crestfallen. For a moment she recalled the first few days when she was brought here. Back then... Shinji had been kind to her. Until he learned that she was brought here to become the heir to the Matou magecraft in his stead. She felt pity for him because of that, but that had only fueled his anger towards her.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Rider appeared next to her.

"I'm fine, Rider." Sakura acted brave. "Has the Blood Fort really been removed?"

"Yes. Our enemies had weakened it. And because they are aware of it, Shinji has decided to abandon the idea." Rider explained.

"I see." Sakura gave a small sigh of relief. Now nobody in the school will be sacrificed.

"You look tired. You should get some sleep." Rider said.

"I think you're right." Sakura started towards her room. "Has Onii-san said what he wants to do with Senpai?"

"No. But he certainly hasn't abandoned the idea of defeating him." Rider replied honestly.

Sakura sighed heavily. "Thanks for your answer." And she disappeared in her room.

Rider stared at the door. As a Servant she was prepared to protect her 'Master' Shinji. Even though her real Master was Sakura. As such her true loyalty lays with her. She wondered how she could ensure Sakura's happiness. As long as she was under Shinji's control that would prove to be difficult. Deep in thought, she vanished.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At eight o'clock they arrived on the roof. When Shirou opened the door he noticed that Archer and Rin were already there. Seeing Rin's face, he knew immediately knew that something was amiss. Shirou looked at Arturia and Saber. They both shrugged their shoulders. "Did something happen, Tohsaka?" They walked up to her.

"Yeah. Something did happen." She pointed at the ground where the seal would have been. Looks like Rider removed the Boundary field before we returned. Too bad. I was hoping to lay a trap here."

"So I felt it right. I thought this might have happened when I felt a disturbance in my own seal." Merlin grinned.

"And you didn't bother to tell us why?" Bedivere asked as he leaned on his shield.

"Because I wasn't entirely sure." Merlin admitted.

"Figures." Tohsaka sighed. "Ah well. At least the students are no longer in danger."

"So, what are we going to do now?" Shirou asked.

"I believe that our best option would be to scour the city for our adversaries." Saber opted. Arturia agreed.

"That is the currently the most logical choice." Archer agreed. "By the way. Where are Gawain and Kay?"

"They wanted to scout out the city ahead of us." Arturia clarified. Her tassets rattled as she turned. Tonight Arturia, as well as the others, were donning their full equipment. Though Arturia had left her dress at home in favor for a jeans and long-sleeved shirt.

"But that is not the only reason, is it?" Archer realized.

"Yes. Gawain wanted to resolve an issue, though he didn't say what it was." Arturia admitted.

"Do you have an idea on where they went?" Tohsaka asked.

"No. I didn't deem it necessary to ask. He would never go against my will." Arturia said.

"Yes. That is Gawain. He would follow all of my commands without question. Such is his loyalty." Saber smiled while reminiscing.

"Hmmmpf." Archer scoffed.

"Is there something bothering you Archer?" Bedivere narrowed his eyes.

"Nothing that concerns you." Archer replied. "Shall we get going?"

"Yeah. Let's go." Tohsaka moved towards the stairs. "Are you guys coming?"

"Yes, Tohsaka." Shirou replied and they followed her. Shirou's eyes met Archer's. Again he felt the mutual dislike between them.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"You are determined to fight him?" Kay asked. Gawain simply nodded as he continued his march towards Tohsaka's house. "Arturia doesn't want him dead. You know that right?"

"I know." Gawain replied stoically. "I'm not planning to kill him. I just want to talk to him, while crossing blades with him. After that, I will drag him to the King. He needs to answer for his treachery."

Kay shook his head. "How is your wound?"

Gawain grimaced. The wound he received from Mordred had been more severe than initially believed. And it refused to fully heal to boot. Gawain had managed to keep this fact hidden, though Kay had discovered his secret. And the accompanying fact that Gawain is not at full strength because of it. Nevertheless. Gawain was certain that he could defeat Lancelot. "I'll manage."

But they never made it to Tohsaka's house. For Lancelot and Guinevere were waiting for them a little further down the road. Lancelot had a gut feeling that someone would seek him out tonight and went out to meet him. "Sir Gawain. Sir Kay. It's been a while."

"You knew we were coming." Kay wasn't surprised.

"I had a feeling that we would have visitors tonight. I hope that you're here to talk." Though Lancelot already knew the answer to that question.

"Indeed. I came to talk. And more." Gawain unsheathed Galantine.

"Sir Gawain, Please. There is no reason to fight like this." Guinevere tried to persuade him. She noticed Kay looking at her, shaking his head.

"Unfortunately you are wrong, Lady Guinevere. And I ask that you remain silent. I haven't forgiven you for betraying the king." Gawain admonished her. "Now then, Lancelot. Shall we begin?" Lancelot drew Arondight, as the two began walking towards each other. When they were five meters apart, they lunged at each other.

The dance of death began. Lancelot and Gawain were almost evenly matched. Both of them great warriors in their own right. Kay and Guinevere looked on as their swords clashed. Gawain launched a series of peerless strikes. Lancelot gracefully parried them and answered the last one with a riposte. Gawain blocked it expertly. Now Lancelot drove on his attack, driving Gawain back. "I have to ask you Lancelot. Why? Why did you betray the King?"

"I never did." Lancelot replied. "Our wish was to aid her. But love can work in strange ways. It happened before we realized it."

"Is that your excuse? Do you think that such a reason makes it forgivable?" Gawain rebukes.

"Perhaps we should ask the king herself." Lancelot shot back. Their swords locked. Slowly they began to circle.

"I beg to differ." Gawain denied the proposition. But in reality he harbored doubts about this statement. His wound acted up for a moment, which Lancelot noticed.

"Looks like your not in peak condition, Sir Gawain. Shall we postpone until you are fully healed?"

"No need for that!" Gawain raised his voice and renewed his offense.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Guinevere worried.

"No need. I don't believe they are trying to kill on another." Kay had moved next to her while the fight carried on. "They just need to get it out of their system." He crossed his arms. "How is your stay at miss Tohsaka's house?"

"Fair enough. Though the sheer luxury of the place baffles me." Guinevere admitted. "Or rather the every day commodities they enjoy in this day and age. People could kill for such things in our time."

Kay had to chuckle. "True enough. Just wait until you see Shirou's house." Guinevere eyes couldn't help but twinkle from curiosity. "Because Tohsaka's family is one of magi, her house doesn't have much of the more recent commodities."

"I'll be sure to visit then before we return. How is Emiya doing?" Guinevere asked.

"Doing very well. Though, he was almost killed by Agravain a couple of nights ago." Guinevere was shocked. "Don't worry. He's fine now."

"Emiya Shirou seems to have a tendency to get himself almost killed." She sighed. "That luck won't keep up indefinitely." Kay solemnly agreed. Suddenly a could, foreboding wind blew and they turned around, sensing danger. Lancelot and Gawain had felt it too and had seized their fight. They rushed up next to Kay and Guinevere.

A silver haired girl had appeared behind them. Her read eyes gleamed in the moonlight, as she smiled. Her young appearance belied the danger she posed. They all felt it. The feeling of imminent doom. "Someone tried to kill Shirou? Unforgivable. No body is allowed to kill him, but me." Her voice sounded innocent, making the whole experience feel surreal.

"And who are you, young lady?" Gawain inquired.

"Shouldn't one give his own name, before asking." The girl replied, making a graceful step forward.

"True enough. I am Gawain, Knight of the Round Table."

"Sir Kay. Well met."

"Sir Lancelot, former knight of the Round Table."

"And I am Guinevere, Queen of Britain..." That would be former queen, she thought silently.

"Oh, my. Pardon me. I didn't know there was a member of royalty present." The girl made a curtsy bow. "Pleased to meet you. I am Illyasviel von Einzbern. Now that we have introduced ourselves, may I ask where I can find Emiya Shirou?"

"What business do you have with him?" Kay demanded. "I'll have you know that none of us will take kindly to any attempt on his life." The others nodded in agreement.

"That is none of your concern." Illyasviel smiled. "My business with him is personal. You people are important historical figures, but if you get in my way, I will not hesitate to have my Servant destroy you."

"Your...Servant?" Guinevere gasped. The knights grew equally tense.

Their fears were vindicated when the air began to distort and a dark giant appeared. This was the impending doom they had felt. It was blatantly obvious that a victory against that thing would not come cheap. "So. What will it be? Resistance is futile, because berserker is stronger than anyone else."

The eyes of Beserker met those of the knights. Even though Beserker was gripped by madness, they could see that Berserker wasn't simply obeying Illya. "I'm sorry, But we have to decline." Kay responded. At the same time Lancelot gestured Guinevere to hide.

"That's too bad. Berserker." Illya spoke with a gentle voice. Beserker exploded into motion. The knights split up three-ways. Lancelot was the first to cross blades, managing to block Beserker's sword-ax. The shock traveled through his body. Lancelot had to use all his strength to block, so great was Beserker's power.

Kay and Gawain attacked its flanks. Beserker moved with agility belying his physique. He pushed Lancelot back and made a back flip, while twisting his hips, keeping his legs spread. A double, spinning kick which would blow Kay and Gawain aside. Kay was forced to block with his sword. He went along with the movement, absorbing the kick harmlessly. Gawain, on the other hand, rolled underneath the kick and went for Beserker's torso. Beserker finished his flip and block the attack with his weapon.

Lancelot took this opportunity to strike, aiming directly for it's head. Once again, Berserker showed his skills and caught Arondight with his left hand. Having a solid hold on the blade, he proceeded to swing Lancelot through the air, throwing him towards Kay. The moment he let loose, he began a series of attacks, driving Gawain back.

Kay dodged Lancelot's flying body. Lancelot dexterously rolled over the ground and jumped back up. A little trembling, but otherwise unharmed. "A most troublesome opponent." Lancelot clenched his fist a couple of times, to stop the shaking of his hand.

"You should just have told me where to find him. There was no reason for this." Illya thought it very bothersome.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, but we consider him our friend." Gawain explained as he dodged Beserker's next attack. At that moment, his wound acted up. Slowing him just enough for Beserker to connect with his follow up. Gawain was flung aside and crashed through a wall. It was a testament to his endurance that he managed to get back up his feet quickly. Gawain was able to block the next attack just in time. His body trembled from the impact. His wound stung him profoundly

Suddenly a purple light illuminated the area. Beserker sensing the danger turned around to face it. Illya too, looked surprised at the unfolding events. Kay was radiating a purple light and was growing, his size rapidly increased. His muscles bulged underneath his armor, which along with his sword, also grew to match his size. And quickly he was taller than Berserker. "How long has it been?" Kay wondered.

And he charged Berserker. Gawain took some distance, as Berserker and Kay clashed with earthshaking power. And this time they were about evenly matched in strength. No. In terms of pure strength, Kay now had the upper hand. But it came at the cost of speed and agility. After exchanging a couple of blows, Berserker expertly avoided the next one and came inside Kay's reach, giving a powerful kick to his gut. Kay bit through it and kicked at Berserker, who ended up using Kay's leg as a springboard, jumping upwards and driving his knee against Kay's chin.

Even though Kay's size, strength and thoroughness had increased drastically, Berserker was more skilled than him. As Kay stumbled backwards, Lancelot leaped over Kay's shoulder and renewed his attack. Their swords clashed again as they descended to the ground. Upon reaching the ground, Lancelot immediately began his deadly dance around Berserker, while Kay and Gawain where trying to recover.

Their swords clashed again and again with lightning speed. And then Lancelot found his chance. When Berserker made a side-ways swing with his left hand, Lancelot grabbed hold of the sword-axe. As Berserker finished his swing, Lancelot planted his legs on top of the weapon and ran across Beserker's arm with all speed. Berserker began moving both his arms to both trip him up and grab him. But Lancelot lunged and flew underneath the right arm, cutting deep underneath Beserker's armpit with Arrondight. Beserker's right arm fell limp.

At that moment Gawain jumped back in. And with a fiery Galantine he charged Beserker. At the same time Kay attacked from the opposite side. Gawain was aiming for Beserker's hearth, while Kay went for his neck. Lancelot went for it's legs. But then... Beserker swung around, using his limp arm as whip, he managed to grab Gawain's sword, dragging Gawain along with it. Simultaneously, he threw his weapon at Kay's legs, forcing Kay to evade enough to allow Beserker to dodge his strike.

Lancelot had to dodge to avoid Berserker hitting him with Gawain. Gawain released a blast from Galantine, destroying Beserker's right hand, causing him to get flung away. Kay reacted fast enough to catch him.

The three knights were now at a stand-off with Beserker. Gawain couldn't help but be impressed. "Incredible. Whoever he is, he is most certainly a hero of great renown." "How are you holding up, Kay?"

"I think I can manage another six minutes or so." Kay panted.

"Then we have to settle this before that." Lancelot said.

"Are you guys giving up?" Illya teased. "If you surrender and tell me where Shirou is, I will spare you."

"Thank you for the offer, young lady." Kay thanked her. "But I'm afraid that, as we said earlier, it is unacceptable."

"Too bad." Illya felt disappointed

"But before we continue..." Lancelot began. "Having fought him, I just have to ask. Who is he? Can we know his name?"

"Ho! You want to know who he is?" Illya narrowed her eyes. "Before I answer that, let me first invite our spectators." The knights looked at each other with wonder.

"You're quite the observant little missy, aren't you." A voice rang out.

"Lancer." Lancelot recognized the voice.

"Hey, Lancelot. How are you?" Lancer greeted him as he appeared. "Sorry that I didn't help you out, but my Master wanted to learn more about him." He pointed at Beserker. "Right, Master?"

"It is as he says." Bazett came out of hiding. She was wearing a strange metal cylinder on her back. She looked at Illya. "Master of Einzebern, Illyasviel von Einzbern."

"You work for the Association, right?" Bazett simply nodded. "Do you think that you and Cú Chulainn can turn the tide?"

"How do you know his name?" Bazett was shocked. Lancer similarly was surprised, though not as much as Bazett.

"Well, the Grail was made by my family." Illya reminded them.

"Sounds like an unfair advantage." Kay muttered.

"Now. Let us resume." Bazett sprung into motion, going directly for Illya. Beserker was already moving to intercept at that time. Unfortunately, Lancer blocked his path.

"Your opponent is me!" He shouted. Unleashing a flurry of strikes and trusts. Berserker met his onslaught in equal measure. Beserker used his strength to force Lancer out of the way, closing the distance towards his Master. Lancer moved around like a beast, attacking the behemoth from all sides. But he could only slow him down so much. Even with one arm completely useless, Beserker still put up one hell of a fight.

"Should we aid them?" Gawain wondered.

"No. The Grail War is not for us to interfere with." Kay pointed out as he returned to his normal size.

"Why do you think that little girl has an issue with Shirou?" Lancelot looked at the Illya, who seemed to be able to fend of Bazett.

"I don't know. I do know that it is a grave mistake to view her as a little girl." Kay said. The other's could only agree. "She is giving lady McRemitz a hard time."

When Bazett had initiated her attack, Illya had immediately enacted her defense. A dome shaped shield protected her from Bazett's strikes. It looked as if it was made out of glowing threads, which formed elegant, swirling and flowing patterns.

"Interesting." Bazett mused as she continued to attack. She had to dodge when Illya shot a beam of light at her.

"My, my. That's quite a barbaric style of fighting you have there." Illya laughed. "Your family clearly lacks refinement."

"You shouldn't talk so much." Bazett shot back.

"Let's up the stakes a little." Illya responded as she drew two hairs from her head. "They immediately began to glow and flowed through the shield, where they transformed into the forms of birds. Bazett jumped back as the birds began to pelt her with bolts of energy.

Meanwhile, Lancer too, was having difficulties. Everybody was able to see Beserker's might on display. As the fighting continued, Beserker and Lancer were slowly moving towards a small field. This was good since their fighting had already torn up a portion of the street.

"So tough. This is a good fight." Lancer grinned in the face of adversity. Suddenly a red streak illuminated the sky and struck Beserker with the force of a tank shell. Lancer took widened the distance during the distraction.

"What now?" Guinevere had joined up with the other three again. Together they watched the fight. "I couldn't see. Lancelot?"

"He got hit by an arrow." Lancelot said. "Looks like Archer has joined the fight."

"Sly old man. This is my fight." Lancer complained.

"Kay! Gawain!" Shirou's voice sounded through the night. Looking behind them the foursome saw Shirou, Arturia and Tohsaka, along with Saber, Bedivere and Merlin run up to them.

"Lancelot!? Guinevere!?" Saber stopped dead in her tracks.

"Two Arturia's?" Guinevere marveled.

"Peculiar." Lancelot looked at Tohsaka. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Oh. Sorry. Must've slipped my mind." Tohsaka tilted her head. "But what are you doing here?"

"Gawain wanted to talk, so I indulged him." Lancelot admitted. "Are you going to help Lancer to defeat Beserker?"

"Only this time. Beserker is a difficult opponent." Tohsaka pointed at the duo fighting.

"So those two are Beserker and Lancer." Shirou looked at the ongoing battle. The smoke and dust obscured some of the action.

"There is something we need to tell you, Shirou." Kay began. Shirou and the others looked at him. "It seems that Beserker's Master has some grudge against you. She even went as far as saying that only she is allowed to kill you."

"Why would Beserker's Master have a grudge against him?" Bedivere looked at the fight between Bazett and Illya. "Is it that white haired girl?"

They all looked at her. "Oh, my. She has quite some power hidden away in that small body of hers." Merlin commented. "Very dangerous. Hmmm. She doesn't seem to be human. Do you know of her, Shirou?"

"No. I don't even know her name."

"Her name is Illyasviel von Einzbern." Kay informed him.

'Einzbern?" Saber was surprised.

"Do you know something, my King?" Lancelot asked her. But then his gaze began to wander between Arturia and Saber, unsure as to who to call his king for a moment. However... Naming Saber as his King rattled her.

Saber began to back down, averting her gaze. Everybody was surprised by her reaction. "I'm not sure. Regardless, Beserker is the bigger issue here. I'll go aid Lancer." She seemed in hurry to avoid answering the question, although they suspected that it had more to do with Lancelot calling her King. "Shirou. Please don't do anything rash." And off she was to fight Beserker.

Everybody looked at Arturia. Since she was practical the same person, she alone would most likely understand that reaction. There was only a worried and stunned expression on her face. Why had Saber reacted like that?

Bazett broke off her attack and withdrew. Illya's defenses have prove to be stronger than her offensive capabilities. "Are you done? Good. Now I can go talk to Shirou." She directed herself to Shirou. "Good evening, Shirou. Now that we have some time. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Illyasviel von Einzbern."

"Good day, I guess. They told me that you have a grudge against me. Is that so?"

"Well. I guess you could call it that." Illya admitted with an innocent expression. "Would you like to come over? We can talk about over some tea in the castle where my mother once stayed." She smiled. "I've got a lot to ask you."

Shirou turned looked behind him to the others. They all shook their heads. "I'll have to decline. But we can talk about it here."

"I would rather talk in private." Her eyes narrowed. "It doesn't matter. Beserker will defeat the others and then I'll have him take you." She looked at the battle.

"You too, Saber? Man. It's becoming crowded here." Lancer complained.

Saber made a deep cut on Beserker's chest. Lancer thrusted at his throat. And Archer's arrows exploded against his body. But still the giant refused to fall. Beserker roared from the top of his lungs. And smashed Lancer and Saber out of the way again.

"Lancer! Get ready!" Bazett had gotten dangerously close to the fighting.

"What is she doing?" Tohsaka looked on tensely.

Bazett removed the cylinder from her back and opened it. A metal ball dropped out and began circling around her. Lancer began to direct the fight closer to Bazett. Bazett held up her fist. Sparks began to form between her fist and the ball, which was now hovering above her fist. "Now Lancer. Do it!" Suddenly the ball changed into a dagger and blasted off so fast that it looked like a beam of light. The weapon pierced Berserker through the heart.

"Huh?" Bazett was surprised. Berserker stopped moving, but he remained standing, like a macabre statue.

And not only her. Everybody was equally stunned. Even Illya. "How...?" Bazett muttered.

"He must have had a Noble Phantasm that was constantly active." Lancer deduced. Bazett thought about it and concluded that he was right.

"What happened?" Saber looked at Berserker from close-by and examined the hole in his chest. Meanwhile Shirou moved towards Saber to bring her back to the group.

"Looks like your Beserker is finished." Tohsaka acted cocky for a moment. Until she saw Illya's 'I-don't-think-so' expression. Then she heard Archer's voice in her head. "Archer? Get back?"

On top of the bridge, Archer muttered something and a sword with a spiral-shaped blade manifested The sword seemed to narrow into a arrow like shape, as he knocked the sword on his bow and began building up energy.

At that moment, dark energy began to swirl around Beserker. His arm began to heal and his other wounds closed. "This is...The curse of immortality." Merlin reacted shocked.

"What kind of monster is he?" Guinevere gasped.

A jolt passed through Shirou, as he sensed Archer's impending strike and realized his intent. "That Bastard." Shirou ran towards Saber.

"Shirou! Get back here!" Arturia shouted.

"Shirou? What are you doing?" Saber was surprised when Shirou grabbed her wrist and dragged her away, as Beserker began to move again. Lancer too, sensed the danger.

"Master!" He grabbed Bazett and began to widen the distance quickly.

Archer fired. Like a shooting star, the weapon flew towards Beserker. Beserker immediately felt that the projectile was the greater threat here and turned around. He swung his sword-axe at the projectile. The entire area was blown away by a gigantic explosion. Lancer and Bazett made it out just in time, but Saber and Shirou were less lucky. The blast blew them of into the bushes.

"That bastard. He tried to take us out all at once." Lancer grumbled.

Arturia and the others rushed towards Shirou and Saber. Saber emerged from the bushes, supporting Shirou. Before a word could be said, they witnessed Beserker emerging from the flames. Unscathed.

"That thing survived the attack of an A rank Noble Phantasm." Tohsaka gasped.

"Truly a beast." Bedivere agreed.

"Not bad, Tohsaka Rin. Your Archer isn't bad at all." Beserker moved towards Illya and helped her on his shoulder. "We will meet again." She looked at Shirou. "Until next time, Emiya Shirou." And they departed into the night.

"Let us go, Master. We are done for tonight." Lancer looked at Bazett, who agreed. And so they withdrew.

"What was that all about, Rin?" Guinevere accused her. "It was obvious that Archer was trying to take them all out at once."

"I don't know." Tohsaka backed down a bit. Her foot hit something metallic. When she looked down, she saw what looked like a sword hilt.

"Archer's weapon." Shirou identified it. "Though that is all that I know." He suddenly sank to the ground.

"Shirou!" Arturia and Saber eased him to the ground. It was then that they noticed the huge gash on his back.

"Let's bring him to Tohsaka's house. It's closer." Lancelot looked at Tohsaka, who quickly agreed. They hurried to her home to treat Shirou's wounds... And talk about what had happened.


	40. Chapter 39

**Fate/stay Night: Across time**

Chapter 39: The Servants at the Temple

At Tohsaka's house, Merlin and Tohsaka were busy treating the wounded. Lancelot had only received some minor scratches. Kay was slightly bruised and exhausted from his transformation. Gawain on the other hand had received the biggest pounding of the three and Merlin was examining him thoroughly. Tohsaka was busy treating Shirou in the guest room. Arturia and Saber stood next to the bed. Nervously waiting for Tohsaka to heal him. Although...

"Yup. He is healing already." Tohsaka sighed. "At this rate he will be up and about in no time." Indeed. Shirou's wounds were rapidly healing, much to everyone's relief. Not even half an hour later Shirou regained consciousness.

As Shirou opened his eyes, he was met by their worried faces. "Shirou. You had us worried there." Arturia smiled relieved, before twisting into a frown. Saber stepped forward before she could continue.

"Shirou, may I ask what you were thinking?" She posed the question that Arturia wanted to ask. "I'm glad that you were able to heal yourself, but your actions were very reckless. Even with your ability. I..." Arturia put her hand on her shoulder. Saber looked at her for a moment and nodded. "We ask that you refrain from doing such a thing again."

"Sorry about that. But Archer was trying to take you out along with Beserker." Shirou defended himself. "I didn't have a choice."

"You would place so much confidence in a Servant you've only just met?" Saber wondered.

"Of course. I mean...We shook on it. And even though you're a Servant, you're basically the same person as Arturia." He smiled. "There is no reason for not having such faith in you or Arturia." Both Arturia and Saber were pleasantly surprised by these words.

"You words are gratifying for me, as a Servant." Saber averted herself.

"Same here." Arturia reacted a bit more bashful. Her cheeks barely blushing. A clear sign that her 'shell' had softened just a little bit since meeting Shirou and coming here. "But still... Please don't do that again." Tohsaka felt some amusement from their interaction.

"Yes. Please refrain. I would have you win the Grail for me." Saber stated regally.

"You want the Holy Grail, too?" Shirou asked.

"Yes. So that I might fulfill my own wish."

"Well. Now that that's out of the way. Shall we join the others downstairs?" Tohsaka started for the door. "They would want to know that you are out of danger."

"Yeah, lets. You can explain Archer's actions to us." Shirou frowned. Tohsaka made a difficult face and went downstairs. Shirou grabbed his torn shirt and followed her.

Before Saber could follow, she was grabbed by Arturia. Her expression was tense. "There is something I would like to ask you."

"You want to know my wish." Saber knew. Arturia confirmed with a small nod. "There is no real reason to ask. Because we both know the answer."

Arturia looked her in the eye for a while longer, before letting go. "Yes. There is only one answer." What else than the continued safety of Britain and it's people. "Shall we join the others?" With a smile she left the room.

Saber looked after her for a moment. Yes. Britain's safety and prosperity. Though not in the way you probably imagine. Her heart felt heavy as she followed suit.

"...she owes us an explanation," Gawain complained. "Archer clearly intended to take them all out at once. Even though we are supposed to be allies."

"Calm down, Gawain." Kay tried to ease his frustration. "Remember that no Master can order a Servant into absolute obedience. I am certain that Archer didn't act on lady Tohsaka's orders."

"I agree with Sir Kay." Guinevere supported him. "Tohsaka Rin is not the type to break her word." All the others agreed.

"If you still want to ask her, you can do so now." Lancelot pointed at the door, where Tohsaka just entered.

She blinked for a moment as she noticed everyone staring at her. "Uh... I wanted to let you know that Shirou has recovered." She looked at Gawain. "What is it that you wanted to ask?"

But before Gawain could ask, Shirou entered the room. "Looks like you are all doing alright." He bowed. "Sorry for making you worry."

"We are glad that you have recovered." Bedivere replied. "But really, you should stop doing things like that."

"We told him the same thing." Arturia entered, followed by Saber. Saber's eyes met with those of Lancelot and Guinevere. She put up her best poker face and looked away from them quickly, much to their surprise.

"Now then, Rin." Gawain rose to his feet. "Can you explain why Archer acted the way he did?" His voice sounded angry.

"Hey, Gawain." Shirou stepped in, but Tohsaka hushed him.

"That is what I want to know too." Rin assured him. "Care to explain, Archer?"

Archer materialized near the wall. "There is nothing to explain. Three Servants were clustered together. It was a good opportunity to thin out the competition." He replied.

"That was surprisingly frank of you." Gawain's eye twitched. "I thought that we were allies?"

"Temporarily. We would have to face each other eventually." Archer reminded him. "I am confident that I can beat Rider, Assassin and Caster. Berserker, Lancer and Saber are the biggest threat to our success. I saw a chance and took it."

"You went against your Master's orders." Gawain accused him.

"And you would follow every order of your king blindly?" Archer asked.

"Because I trust my King and her orders implicitly. A knight doesn't speak. He only needs to obey the orders of his king. I chose to be a knight." Great pride sounded in his voice. Arturia and Saber both felt a little comfort hearing this. Archer however, scoffed.

"Hmpf. So you follow your orders without question. That makes you no better than a puppet." Archer shot back. "Or perhaps you simply lack the courage to make your own choices." Gawain clenched his jaw. The room had become silent.

"Hey, Archer." Rin tried to intervene.

"And you fight of your own free will then, Archer?" Gawain stepped forward, gently pushing Rin aside. Archer met him in kind.

"I never asked to be here. I already completed my life, only to be summoned to do someone else's bidding." Archer admitted.

"So you don't even have a wish?" Gawain asked.

"I was able to fulfill my dream in life, so no...I don't." Archer looked at Gawain disapprovingly.

"That's enough, Archer!" Rin ordered him to stop. "Look, regardless of you intentions, I forbid you from doing such a thing again. Do I make myself clear." Her Command Spell lit up dangerously. That had almost cost her another Command Spell.

"As you wish, Master." Archer conceded. "Please be careful with how you speak. You almost wasted another Command Spell." Tohsaka blushed.

"You too, Gawain." Arturia ordered.

"I hear and obey." Gawain replied. His eyes kept piercing those of Archer.

"Say, Gawain. Do you really obey everything she orders you to do?" Shirou dared ask.

"Shirou?" Saber and Arturia looked at him.

Gawain turned to face him, but before he could respond, Archer did. "You are one to talk. You who doesn't even value his own life and happiness." Shirou glared at him.

"Heyyyy!" Merlin yelled suddenly. "Why don't we talk about our little Beserker problem instead? It would seem that she has some issues with our friend Shirou here." Merlin's outburst released some of the tension.

"Uh, yes. I second that." Guinevere pitched in.

Archer shot a glare at Shirou. "Very well. We'll continue some other time."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sakura prepared herself to go to Shirou. She looked out of the window at the traces of the battle. Police officers and firemen had cordoned off the area and were busy asking questions. It had been so close to home. A battle of four Servants and their Masters, along with the knights of the Round Table. But what worried her most was the fact that Shirou was one of the Masters. How she had prayed for it not to happen. But it did happen. She had slipped outside to observe the battle from a distance and had seen how Shirou got injured and had been carried off to Tohsaka's house. She had seen how everybody was worried about him. And she understood.

"Arturia. Sister." She murmured. It wasn't fair. Her sister had inherited her family's magecraft and now she was getting closer to Shirou as well. And then there was Arturia. Zouken had confirmed that she was the real king Arthur. That was quite the surprise. But in her eyes, that paled in comparison to the fact that she too, was getting closer to her senpai. "He's mine." She murmured with a clear tone of anger in her voice.

"Did you say something?" Sakura turned to see Shinji. "Are you thinking of seeing Shirou again? You better not tell him anything. Or do you want me to take drastic actions?" Sakura shook her head. "That's good. You keep remembering that. I have some business to take care of, so I'll be heading out now. Make sure you behave, alright?" Sakura nodded. Shinji grinned satisfied and left.

"Sakura?" Rider appeared next to her. "You still won't do it?" She asked softly.

"No. I can't fight. I won't. That's why he took over." Sakura replied timidly. She looked at the Command Spell on her hand. "As long as he doesn't hurt senpai." Rider looked at her silently. The chance was very real that Shinji would break that promise. At the same time Sakura felt anger and sadness twist inside her. Long buried emotions slowly, but surely made their way up. If Tohsaka or Arturia would get any closer to Shirou, she might decide to join the fray.

And unbeknown to the two, Zouken was eavesdropping from inside his room. He couldn't help but grin. It would be quite interesting should Sakura decide to fight.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Not long after, Shinji and Mordred met up at a bistro in the Verde. "It would seem that there was quite a commotion near your house." Mordred looked at Shinji and drank from the soup she had ordered. Shinji nodded and took a bite from his sandwich. "Care to fill me in?"

"It was intense. Berserker clashed with the knights of the round table." Shinji brushed through his hair. "I didn't know that Kay could increase his size like that."

"He did that? I don't recall him doing that in front of me, ever." Mordred lifted an eyebrow. "How did it go?"

"Well... At first it was a case of Beserker against Gawain, Bedivere, Kay and Lancelot. From what I could tell, it seemed that Gawain got the biggest trashing." Mordred chuckled. "Not long after, Lancer and his Master joined in and Beserker and his Master shifted their attention towards them." And so Shinji began to tell everything he knew. Arturia, Saber, Bazett's strange weapon, Shirou nearly dead...

"Archer tried to kill Beserker, Saber and Lancer in one shot?" Mordred approved. "I can respect that. In a war, the only thing that matters is winning. Archer most definitely follows that train of thought."

"Speaking of thoughts... Won't your mother get suspicious of you?" Shinji worried about that. "Currently I have Rider keeping an eye out for potential eavesdroppers, but still..."

"For the moment she doesn't suspect me. She is still wondering what happened with Esdelot." Mordred leaned back. "She also told me that she was close to a breakthrough regarding the Holy Grail's location."

"Did she mean the Greater or the Lesser Grail?" Shinji asked. Mordred looked at him in surprise.

"There are two Grail's?" She leaned closer to him. "What do you mean with Greater and Lesser?"

Shinji looked around as if to double check for eavesdroppers. "I only learned this by chance when I once heard my father talk to Zouken and from what I managed to find in our records. The Lesser Grail is the Grail that appears at the end of the War. However, it's function is to grant the wish of the winning team on the Greater Grail, the true device that grants the wish."

"Do you know where the Grails are?" Mordred hoped he knew.

"The Lesser Grail's location is unknown. But I do know that the Greater Grail is located in a secret cave underneath mount Enzo."

"Do you know where the entrance is?" Shinji shook his head. "The only ones who might know are Zouken, The Einzebern Master and maybe even Tohsaka."

"Well... This is valuable information regardless." Mordred drank the last of her soup. "Now... How about we start looking for some enemies to defeat?"

"Do you have a target in mind?" Shinji sighed. "I suggest that we try to learn something about Assassin. That Servant is usually very good at killing Masters and has yet show his face. Or perhaps Caster. We know that he is hold up in the Temple and his Prana stores are still growing."

"Or she." Mordred reminded him. "I suggest that we pay a visit to the Temple and see if there have been any changes. Perhaps they have a new guest."

"Not a bad idea. But we'll have to be careful. The Temple is surrounded by a boundary field from every side, except the main entrance that wards off even Servants." Shinji warned her. "If Caster surprises us..."

"Don't worry. Remember who you're talking to. I'm Mordred." She stood up her voice full of pride. "Servant or not, there is no way that I'll let a Magus get the better or me." Shinji looked at her eyes wide. Was this confidence or arrogance?

Not much later, they arrived at the Temple. "Oh, Mordred-kun. It's been a while since you last came here." They were greeted by Issei's father. "Matou Shinji-kun? The last person I would expect to visit us. What brings you guys here?"

"We were just in the neighborhood. So I decided to drop by, since it has been quite a while indeed. How are you doing by the way?" Mordred looked around. Nothing out of the ordinary, except for the feeling that she was being watched.

"Very good. Thanks for asking." He noticed Mordred and Shinji examining the surroundings. "Are you guys looking for someone? Or something? Issei perhaps? Or did you come to visit Kuzuki-san?"

"Not in particular. We just passed by and decided to drop by for a visit." Shinji replied nonchalantly. "Say... Did something change recently in the Temple?"

"Change? Nothing really. Everything is going like usual." Ryuudou paused for a moment. "Though there is one thing. Kuzuki-san is going to get married."

"Kuzuki-sensei is...? Interesting. I guess we should congratulate him then." Shinji prompted. "Don't you agree Mordred-san?"

"It would only be proper to do so." Mordred agreed. "Do you think we could see them?"

"I don't see why not. Though I would have to ask them first." Ryuudou laughed. "Please follow me."

"Thank you." Mordred said and she and Shinji followed him towards the back of the temple. As they walked Mordred whispered to Shinji. "We are being watched from, ever since we came up those stairs."

"I know. Rider confirmed that there was a Servant in spirit form at the Gate." Shinji cast a glance over his shoulder. "Now it's just a question as to whether that was Caster"

Arriving at the back of the Temple they found Kuzuki sitting on the porche. Next to him sat a woman with long purple hair. "Ryuudou-san. I see that Pendragon-kun and Matou-kun have come to visit." The woman was about to stand up and return inside when Ryuudou spoke.

"Yup. I just told them that you two were getting married, and so they wanted to congratulate you." Ryuudou called out to the woman. "Are you going back inside ma'am? Won't you at least say hello?" She stopped and slowly turned around. Mordred and Shinji got a good look at her face. And she was beautiful.

Kuzuki regarded the two. "Well it isn't everyday that your teacher gets married." Mordred pointed out. "That said... Could we meet your soon-to-be wife?" She motioned to her.

"Could we at least have your name, ma'am?" Shinji asked.

Kuzuki looked at her. The woman approached the two. "My name is Medea. I'm from Europe. Pleased to meet you." She spoke with an elegance befitting her appearance.

"Matou Shinji. Congratulations with your marriage." She nodded in appreciation.

"Mordred Pendragon." Mordred replied.

"Oh, Mordred. As in King Arthur?" She tilted her head.

"It's just a coincidence. I'm obviously not the real one. Don't let it bother you." Mordred brushed it off.

"That would be weird indeed." She chuckled. "Now if you'll excuse me. I will be returning to my chambers. Could we speak later about the preparations, Souichirou?"

"Of course. I'll be with you shortly." Kuzuki replied. And with a smile she went inside.

"Not very talkative, is she?" Mordred remarked.

"She is indeed rather reserved." Kuzuki acknowledged. "Is there anything else you want?"

"No, Kuzuki-sensei. We just dropped by for a visit," said Shinji. "We have no intentions of interrupting your day any further."

"What he said. We hope your marriage will go well." Mordred and Shinji began to leave. "Until tomorrow, Kuzuki-sensei."

"Until tomorrow." Kuzuki replied. Mordred and Shinji said their goodbyes to Ryuudou and left the temple grounds.

"It's her. She is the magus. She must be Caster." Mordred stated.

"Are you sure? On what do you base this?" Shinji asked.

"Because she smelled like my mother... but less bloody." Mordred pointed over her shoulder towards the temple.

She identified her through her sense of smell? Is she some kind of animal? "But who is her master than? Don't tell me Kuzuki-sensei is..."

"I don't know. It may be possible that he is just her puppet." Mordred went over the possibilities in her head. "But there is another problem. You know that presence near the Gate? It was a different one than caster. Another Servant."

"The only one left would be Assassin." Shinji's eyes went wide. "Assassin and Caster's Masters have aligned with each other?"

"No. I get the feeling that Caster no longer has a Master." Mordred declared.

"What makes you say that?" Shinji had trouble believing that. "How would she sustain herself without a Master?"

"It's the mass faintings that are occurring all over the city." Mordred explained. Shinji looked at her not understanding. "Mother discovered that somebody has been harvesting energy, Prana from the city. And that person was doing so from the Temple. Caster would be the only one powerful to do that..."

"And in doing so, she has become self-sufficient." Shinji grabbed his head in frustration. "This is the worst. And with the amount of people who have fainted she must have a large amount stored already. And what about Assassin?"

"I have no idea. I don't know who his Master is or if said Master is even at the Temple." Mordred admitted. "But now we know the face of our enemy. Though she will already be aware that we know what she is. Have your Servant stand guard tonight."

"I will do that." Shinji felt a bit nauseous. The thought of Caster attacking his house was quite frightening. "Any ideas on how to beat her?"

"We will have to lure her outside the Temple. I feel sorry for him, but Kuzuki will have to become the bait. When he returns after school should be the best time to nab him."

"Abduct Kuzuki?" Shinji felt a mix of exhilaration and nervousness. "And where are we going to keep him?"

"I doubt that she will wait long. So, I suggest going to the harbor." Mordred stopt at the bottom of the stairs. "That place is usually deserted after nightfall and it's a good place for ambushes."

"Alright. I'll trust your judgment on this. But what if Assassin comes with her?" Shinji pointed out that possible flaw in her plan. "Even if you are a knight of the Round Table, that are still two Servants."

"Then it would seem that your Servant will have to use her Noble Phantasm." Mordred grinned. Shinji tried to smile, but couldn't. He struck a deal with her to increase his chances, but her potentially overconfident attitude made him worry.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"I don't think I'll ever get along with him." Shirou grumbled as he prepared dinner.

"Archer doesn't seem the easiest person to work with." Arturia commented.

"He tried to take out Saber along with Beserker and Lancer. Even while we are allies." Shirou reminded her.

"I agree with Shirou." Gawain supported Shirou's opinion. "That guy seems to mock the idea of Chivalry itself."

"It seems that way. But something tells me that there is more to it." Bedivere argued. "Perhaps his faith in Chivalry was crushed by something that happened in his life." Gawain and Shirou regarded him. "His actions may not have been honorable, but I'm certain that he is not cruel."

"Can you tell us how you came to that conclusion?" Kay asked.

"I spoke with Lancelot before we left." Bedivere elaborated. "He described Archer's way of fighting as pure. And I know that we all agree that such a person must be equally pure of heart."

"True to that." Saber supported his assessment. "Regardless of what he did, I do believe that we have a chance of taking down Beserker with his help."

"He does have potential." Kay rubbed his chin. "But... it's advisable to keep an eye on him."

"Speaking of..." Saber looked at Shirou. "Can I ask you all to try and keep an eye on Shirou? I feel that my chances on winning the Grail will be greater if Shirou can't expose himself to danger so often."

"Excuse me, my K... uh, Saber." Bedivere corrected himself. "I don't think we should interfere with this War anymore than we have to. Aside from trying to stop Morgan and Mordred, we don't have any justification on interfering."

"I understand your reservations. But it is not uncommon for participants to enlist help during this ritual." Saber wanted to convince them. "When Kiritsugu summoned me during the fourth War, he was aided by his partner Maiya Hisau and the Einzbern Homunculus Irisviel von Einzbern."

"Was that her mother?" Shirou peaked out the kitchen. "I recall her saying something about a castle where her mother once stayed."

Saber looked downcast. "If Irisviel was her mother, which I fear may indeed be the case, than that might explain her grudge against you." She looked at Shirou with her sad face. "Because if Irisviel is her mother, than that would mean that she isn't a complete homunculus, but the child born from a homunculus and a human."

"What do you mean Saber?" Arturia held her breath. They could all feel that a big revelation was about to be made.

"If Irisviel was her mother, it would mean her father was Emiya Kiritsugu." The room had become dead silent.

"That would make her my step-sister." Shirou managed to say after a couple of seconds. "And... Wait." It finally sank in. "You knew my father?"

"Indeed, Shirou. My master in the previous War, was none other than your adoptive father, Emiya Kiritsugu." Saber revealed.

"And once again it is proven that Shirou meeting us, and most importantly you," Merlin pointed at Arturia. "was not a coincidence, but fate. Everything happens for a reason."

"Figures that you knew, or at least suspected as much." Kay shook annoyed his head.

"That explains why she is after Shirou, but not necessarily why she wants to kill him." Arturia deduced. "What exactly happened..." Arturia was cut off when the bell rang and Sakura entered.

"I'm coming in." Sakura's voice rang out.

"We'll talk later." Saber stood up. "I'll be in your room." She said to Arturia. "Until later." And she went out the other way to avoid Sakura. The door shoved shut behind her, just before Sakura entered the kitchen.

"Good morning everybody." Sakura came in smiling. "You were talking rather animated. Did something happen?"

"Not necessarily, lady Sakura." Kay said. "We heard that there was a commotion in your neighborhood."

Sakura paused for a moment. Should she tell the truth? No. At this point she decided to feign ignorance. "Yes, there was. I don't know what happened, but a sizeable part of the street got demolished. But nobody got hurt from what I could tell."

"That's good to hear." Kay eyed the others. They all felt guilty from lying to her like this.

"Thank you for your concern." Of course they would all feign ignorance. They wanted to avoid dragging her into this and she in turn, knew that they were all involved into this.

"The most important thing is that nobody got hurt." Shirou stood in front of her and smiled. "How about we make a big breakfast and talk about something else. Let's put some more effort in todays breakfast, shall we Sakura?"

Sakura couldn't help but smile "Of course senpai." Her heart felt heavy though. Since this was only a momentary distraction. And she feared that the truth would eventually surface.

Once Taiga arrived, they managed to enjoy their breakfast to its fullest. It really managed to uplift their spirits. When the breakfast was over, Shirou posed a question to Taiga. "Say, Fuji-nee."

"Yes, Shirou. What is it?" She ended her conversation with Bedi and turned to regard him.

"Did dad ever mentioned something about his family? Like if he was ever married in the past or so? Or something about blood relatives?"

Taiga looked at him with a puzzled expression. She straightened herself up and began to ponder. "I don't think he ever had mentioned anything like that. Why do you ask?"

"There was this young girl who asked about dad. A foreigner." Shirou explained. "She said that she knew dad and that she was related to him." He felt guilty about lying to Taiga, but telling her that she was out to get him wasn't a good idea.

"Really? That's interesting." She was getting excited. "What was her name?"

"She called herself Illyasviel von Einzbern."

"Von Einzbern? Never heard of it?" Taiga crossed her arms. "I will ask grandpa if he knows anything. He knew your father the longest."

"Thank you, Fuji-nee. This will help a lot."

"You're welcome, Shirou. That's what your big sis is here for." She chirped, before returning her attention to Bedivere.

"Hmmm. Sakura, are you alright?" Arturia asked Sakura, who was sitting next to her. She had suddenly gotten really quiet.

"Uhm? Ah, it's nothing. I was just surprised to hear that a possible relative from senpai's father had shown up." Sakura smiled nervously. "I didn't know that he had other family." But she had heard of the Einzberns before. And knew who the girl was. Beserker's Master.

Later that day, when Sakura and Taiga had left, Arturia went to spar with Saber. It was strange fighting against herself. She decided to use this as an excuse to learn more about Saber, her possible future self. Saber's behavior had unnerved her for several reasons.

The two trainings swords clashed against each other in rapid succession. Neither managed to gain the upper hand. They were evenly matched in terms of skill.

"Saber, tell me..." Arturia began. "How did it end?" She was worried about the answer. "Is your wish really what I think it is?"

"Of course. Everything for Britain." Saber countered. "Everything I, you..., did was for the good of the people." An answer to avoid the core of the issue. Saber could not possibly tell her the truth.

Arturia knew in her heart that Saber would never divulge the truth so easily. So she tried to ask a different question. "What happened between you and Lancelot?" Saber didn't answer as they exchanged the next set of attacks. "I know how you felt about Guinevere and Lancelot after their secret was revealed. But why did Lancelot put you so off balance? What made you avoid him and Guinevere as you did last evening?"

"Shut up." Suddenly Saber got angry. No. It was more sadness than anger. She lunged at Arturia for another attack. Arturia was surprised, but reacted fast and blocked. Then, Saber grabbed her arm and tried to unbalance her. In that moment, Arturia saw a brief vision of Lancelot. Lancelot, clad in black armor and his face distorted by rage and madness. Rough looking hair and ferocious looking teeth. Looking at her, Saber, with eyes full of hate. The two broke off and distanced themselves from each other.

"What happened?" Arturia asked with a trembling voice. Saber looked away. Sadness and guilt showed on her face.

"Something that I plan on setting right." Saber replied after regaining her emotionless composure.

"What does that mean?" Arturia asked. She could feel her heart pounding in her throat. She knew that Saber blamed herself for whatever happened to Lancelot.

"We are done here." Saber left the dojo abruptly. "I have a war to win." Arturia remained alone in the dojo. She sat down and put the sword aside, and began to contemplate about what she learned.

Not long after Shirou and Bedivere arrived. "My king. Is everything alright?"

"Why do you ask?" Arturia wondered.

"I just spoke with Saber, but something seemed off. Did something happen during your sparring match?" Bedivere looked at her. His face troubled.

"Did you came to check on me as well, Shirou?"

"No. I wanted to spar with you again. But then Bedivere told me about his encounter with Saber and so..." He looked at her wondering.

"Nothing really happened. I just asked some questions and she didn't want to answer." She decided to leave out the more worrying bits until she knew more. She stood up and grabbed her shinai. "Now then. You said that you wanted to spar, Shirou?"

Bedivere and Shirou looked at each other. They would come back on this matter some other time. "I did." Shirou grabbed a shinai and began sparring with her. Bedivere decided that he would stay and watch. As always, Shirou got a beating.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Everybody was fast asleep that evening. Though Merlin decided to go out for a 'walk'. Shirou had fallen asleep during his training in the shed. Unfortunately, danger was looming over him. Magic treads sneaked in through the barrier and approached Shirou. Sillently they wrapped around Shirou's limbs and as if ,no, literally controlled by a puppeteer, he stood up and began to walk.

Was he dreaming? Shirou saw flashes of visions. An ancient galley, an ancient Greek city, a man holding a golden fleece. What does this all mean?

As Shirou kept moving in his dreamlike trance, he was observed from a distance. On one of the roofs stood Archer. He had noticed him all the way from Tohsaka's house. Looking down on Shirou, he decided to follow. As he did, he also noticed other individuals following them. One of them was Lancelot, who had sensed that he had left and followed him. On the other hand there was Mordred.

Lancelot had yet to learn about Shirou. Mordred on the other hand had encountered Shirou walking through the night and decided to follow. Archer could make an educated guess on the possibilities as to what Mordred would do, depending on the situation. But that was something he would worry about when necessary.

Shirou eventually arrived at the temple courtyard. He awoke from his trance and was surprised to see himself here. "What happened? The Ryuudou Temple? How did I come here?"

"Shall I explain it to you?" A swirl of energy appeared and from it rose a woman clad in purple robes.

"Servant Caster." Shirou realized. The woman smiled.


End file.
